A Path to Salvation
by jennipher
Summary: When Minato approaches Sakura and a dying Naruto with a proposition to prevent the War, Sakura readily takes the chance, even if that means not being able to come back. As Madara tags along and steals her only means of returning home, Sakura and Minato set out to stop the chain of events that lead to the Fourth War, before it's too late, growing closer with each passing day.
1. Matter of Time

**a/n:** This is my first Naruto story and I did a lot of research to write this. I love the idea of Sakura/Minato, but I also love the idea of someone traveling back in time to save them. It makes for an amazing plot. And a confusing one at that. I want mine to be different from the others, lol. I do not own Naruto or hid dad (unfortunately) or the profile picture for the story.

-This chapter isn't as long as I wanted it to be because of Naruto himself, not because I got lazy and didn't want to wright.  
>-I use mainly the English version of techniquesjutsu unless I find a reason not too: such as the kunai that Minato uses, instead of calling them Flying Thunder God Kunai EVERY SINGLE DAMN TIME, i'll just call them by their Japanese name, instead. Cool?  
>-Starting next chapter, chapters will be much longer. Much, much longer.<br>-Please leave me some reviews. I want to hear about your questions, your concerns, or if you find a flaw in my otherwise perfect strategy. Please?

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><p><em>"what kind of man would i be<br>__if i accepted defeat  
><em>_what would my eulogy read;  
><em>_here lies a wasted soul_

_what would my destiny be  
><em>_what sort of life would i lead  
><em>_consumed by apathy  
><em>_spinning out of control..."_

_-Matter of Time, Five Finger Death Punch  
><em>

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><p>No matter how many times Sakura breathed her life into him, no matter how many times she rubbed her thumbs along an aorta, counting to three before she squeezed her hand, Naruto's heart wasn't speeding up; it was only getting slower by the minute. It was a fact she was desperately trying to ignore. Naruto never have up on anything, so why would she? She would be damned if she let him down now.<p>

_Please Naruto, everybody needs you. We need you._

Sakura clenched his heart once more. _I need you._

"Naruto's girlfriend, I am in need of a favor." At the sound of the new voice, Sakura jumped up, kunai in hand, and took a defensive position; ready to protect her comrades.

Seeing as it was the Fourth Hokage, she relaxed as much as she could under the circumstances and turned to Gaara.

"It's alright, Gaara. He's Naruto's dad." She turned back to the Kage and offered a gentle smile before returning to Naruto, continuing to manually pump his heart.

"I'm sorry, Lord Fourth, but I don't think this is the time." She turned to Gaara again. "Keep an eye out?" He disappeared without a word.

"I am aware of that. However, I have something that could save us. My final ace, if you will." He kneeled down next to his son and brushed some hair away from his face.

Sakura paused in her motion before resuming her task. Konoha's Yellow Flash was one of the best Shinobi the ninja world has ever seen. Disregarding the fact he was her Fourth Hokage, if he was asking somebody else for help and not doing it himself, then it meant either of two things: one, it's big. Or two, he himself is unable to do it, and that prospect just lead Sakura to more questions.

_Or it could be both._ She sighed and gave the Hokage her attention. "What is it?" She watched as he pulled out one of his special kunai and laid it on Naruto's chest.

"I was saving it for an emergency for either Kushina or our child, but I didn't have the opportunity to actually activate it. I would have done this sooner had I realized I had it on me." Sakura didn't say anything as his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. He placed one of his "regular" kunai between them.

"How is this one different from the rest of your usual ones?"

"Are you aware of the Time Reversal Technique the Anbu use to recover lost memories during interrogations?" Sakura looked for any give-aways on his face but his black reanimated eyes were lifeless, giving no hint as to what he was thinking.

"Yes. Naruto told me about it. He said they told him it was almost like traveling back in time."

"Exactly. I took that concept and expanded on it. It took me a better part of a year to complete it, but I managed it." Sakura stalled. As the thought formed in her head, she thought herself crazy. Taking her hand out of Naruto's chest, she ran her hand through her hair, not caring about the blood.

"You're not…"

"No, I'm not." Her Fourth Hokage looked her in the eyes, his black ones pinning her there with a determination she could plainly see. "_You_ are."

Neither of them said anything. She had a feeling he was giving her the opportunity to let what he was planning sink in, to weigh the options. Sakura looked at her left hand and rubbed her fingers together, feeling Naruto's blood thicken. Tenderly, she placed that hand on the right side of her forehead and dragged it across her face, leaving a trail of his blood in its wake. She sniffed and wiped her nose. She glanced at the kunai.

"How does it work? Why me? Why not you?" Her heart thundered in her chest and she almost started gasping for air. But she wouldn't. Not in front of the Hokage.

"I cannot because the jutsu keeping me alive wouldn't reach wherever I go. I would entrust this with Naruto, but he is in no shape to be doing it, and I cannot ask the Fifth Hokage because she is needed here." Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. "I also do not have the time to pick the perfect person. You have shown true leadership and adept skill at adjusting to situations, and that is what I require."

"I appreciate the sentiment my Lord, but this jutsu…if you want me to carry this out, I need to know what it does."

"It locks onto my presence, my chakra, no matter where or _when._" Her eyes widened. "It will bring you to myself when I was alive, hopefully at an appropriate time, and it can bring you back here by locking onto my chakra once again, whether it be me or in one of my kunai's. However, I was only able to make one so you only get one chance at this. If something goes wrong and the past me is able to create a new one, the probability of it actually being able to lock onto my chakra from this time is nil. You must face that hard truth."

_It's a harsh reality._

Sakura's hands tightened around Naruto's, silently begging for him to miraculously wake up and save them all, like he always does. Her eyes watered, she didn't want to leave his side. She hated the thought of it.

"What would I do? How long would it take?" Her voice was soft, almost pleading and to the point of whining.

"This is your chance to go back and do what I was unable to do – stop a war, save countless lives. Save my son. Save Konoha. For me, please."

There was almost nothing in the history books about the Fourth Hokage but Sakura was sure he wasn't a man who got on his knees and begged anybody for their help very often. But the desperation in his voice wasn't something to argue with and it rocked her to the core. She placed Naruto's hand on her cheeks, leaned into it, closed her eyes, and let the tears finally fall.

"It would take you as long as you needed it to take – you can't stop a war in one day. As for _when_ you get back here, I am unsure. Depending on the outcome of your actions in the past, you could end up at any given time _after_ I have created the Hiraishin Kunai and placed them throughout the Leaf."

Her tears fell on Naruto's face. "And Naruto? What about him? What happens if he isn't born? What if-?!"

"I believe the saying goes: 'Fate finds a way.' His mother and I weren't meant for this world but we are grateful for the time we had with him here. If something happens to either Kushina or I, then it just wasn't meant to be. Some things just can't be helped." His deep voice trailed off into a lighter tune. It rattled her bones.

Sakura looked at the Yondaime, ready to voice her fears. "But I -!"

"Don't let it worry you. Going to the past will have consequences, no matter what. Do not let it discourage you and get in the way of your mission. Do what is right for Konoha, for the future. Protect your friends. Protect your home. Protect Naruto."

Protect your Hokage. _It goes without saying._

"Do it."

Sakura and Minato's eyes snapped down to see Naruto looking at her through half-lidded eyes, his breath coming in long, shallow intervals. She meets his eyes and she swears, at the moment, she'd do anything to protect the people she loved. Reaching a hand down, she cups his face with one hand and smiles as he leans into it. Hope flickers through her eyes briefly as she props him up in her lap and brushes away dirt from his face. His eyes never left hers, nor did they waver. She wasn't sure if he knew his dad was right there or not, but she'll take what she can get. She had the feeling he wouldn't mind – Naruto never was shy about things.

"Save us, Sakura." The resolve in his voice made her choke out a sob. Naruto stretched out a hand and touched his fingers to her cheek, brushing away a tear. "I believe…in you." She shifted around until she covered his hand with one of hers and solemnly nodded.

"I love you." Sobs wracked her body as his body sagged and she quickly wrapped him in her arms so he wouldn't hit the ground. Sakura buried her face in his hair and let out another sob. "_Ohnonononono._ This can't be happening. Oh god, please Naruto, don't die! I love you, too! I need you here, alive and with me!"

Minato watched on as this Sakura girl clung to his sons dead body like it was going to disintegrate and fly away with the wind. He felt tears pile up and his already dead heart die even more.

Sakura knew the risk was high. She could save all of Konoha, her friends. Sasuke She could save Naruto. But at what cost? If she went through with this, there was guarantee that her friends would still be the same, or even _alive_ when, or if, she returned. There was no guarantee that she would succeed in her mission to begin with. She could fail on the first day and all this would be for nothing. There was no security in that.

She looked at Naruto and rethought the situation. What would he do in this situation? _He wouldn't think twice before doing it. Not once since he was a child has he given up his dream of becoming a Hokage, even in the face of War. _Her tears stopped at the thoughts. _He wouldn't care about the consequences, he would do anything to save his friends and his home._ Ignoring the Fourth Hokage, she silently laid Naruto on the ground, his head rolling to the side, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Her mind made up, she stood and looked into the dead eyes of the Yondaime.

She spoke with a stern voice that echoed her determination and love. "Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Village of the Leaves: I swear to you this; I will protect our home, our friends," she choked, "our…loved ones. I shall protect you and your family. I will not rest until this is set straight. I will not let you down."

She was sure he was blushing under that dead skin of his, if his taken aback expression was anything to go by. He coughed.

"Good." The Namikaze stood behind her, his right hand out. "Do you mind?" He offered a small smile.

She hesitated a moment, gulped, and then nodded. He was going to mark her. She wasn't familiar with it and she didn't know if it was reversible, but she would let him. She tensed as he put a cold hand on her spine. She felt a small electric current course through her body and the rhombus on her forehead tingled.

He entered her line of view again. "A failsafe."

"I need to know the rules."

He smiles. "Try to keep things as they are, that's a given. However, like I said before: some things cannot be helped and certain things that are here in the present will not be if a certain event occurs in the past. Fate will always find a way."

Simple. But her eyes still wavered. "I understand. But…" She glanced down at Naruto.

"You have to trust me, Sakura. We all appreciate the time we had with him, and if something happens to Kushina or I then it was not meant to be. The best we can do is to keep him alive by remembering him, talking about him, and living the way he would want us to live."

She would do it. For Konoha. For Naruto.

"Yes sir. But how will they trust me? I'm aware of Inoichi Yamanaka's technique, but what if he's dead? What if-!" There were many possibilities of something going wrong and it was unnerving, almost shattering her resolve.

The Yondaime Hokage just chuckled at her. He handed another one of his special kunai's to her. "You'll be fine. Take this extra kunai for added protection."

"But…" She glanced at the dirt.

"Besides, there's always my mark." He chuckled again.

Sakura sighed and glanced at Naruto, winced, and sighed again. "Alright. Let's do this."

"Right." He held up his hands to make the appropriate hand signs but Sakura stopped him.

"Sir, uhm…" Blowing out a heavy breath, she brushed a bloodied hand through her hair and tried to calm her unsteady heart.

"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow. She breathed in and looked into his black eyes.

"I just thought you should know, in case it never get's said, that Naruto always looked up to you ever since he was a child. He always thought you were the best Hokage, always prattling on about how he was going to be cooler than you. He wanted to be like you, ya know?" Her eyes softened at his stunned expression. "And, I think I speak for not only Naruto, but the entire Leaf Village as well when I say this, but, you were the best Hokage. You were a true Hokage."

Sakura smiled as wide as she could and didn't mind that the Yondaime didn't say anything as he activated the seal. She put picked up Naruto's hastily discarded jacket from the ground and slipped it on, feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment at the fact, and sheathed the extra weapons. She cast one last glance at Naruto, knowing this may well be the last time she ever saw her friend.

"I have complete faith in you, Sakura." With tears falling from her eyes she waved goodbye to the man giving them a second chance and closed her eyes.

And immediately snapped them open and something clawed at her ankle. "What the-?!"

It was Madara, crawling on his stomach. How had they not noticed his presence? Sakura didn't have time to think about it as she and Madara disappeared in a yellow flash.

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><p>Minato berated himself on not keeping up with his surroundings. How could he be so careless? Hopefully his instinct about the woman was right and she would be able to handle herself when they landed. If not, then all was lost.<p>

_No. I refuse to think like that. _Minato narrowed his eyes, clenched his fists, and thought out a possible scenario. _The woman successfully wards off Madara and convinces the Third Hokage; I've given her enough proof. They immediately set out and prevent the Fourth Shinobi World War. _

Minato knew it was a stretch, but he had to believe in this Sakura. If his son believed in her, then he could too. He had too.

_Naruto…my son. _

Minato brushed the side of Naruto's cheek with his left hand, his only hand, and succumbed to his emotions. _His son was dead. _This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to arrive with enough chakra to implant the Yin side of the Nine Tails inside Naruto, but he only had enough for one thing. He was utterly exhausted.

Minato cried for his lost son. "My precious boy." He was grateful for the time he was allotted to spend with him and will always cherish those few small moments as a father, but _damn it!_ Minato slammed his fist against Naruto's chest as he chocked back a sob. He wanted to be a family! With Kushina and their son and himself and their small home.

He could accept that it would never happen, but he wanted his son to live and grow as he had. Strong, independent, someone everyone could be proud of. And while he was aware his son had accomplished all of those things, if not more, he didn't want this for him. Not to die like this.

"There were so many things I wish I could've done, Naruto. I wish…I could've seen you grow up, register you for the academy and help you study for a test. I wish I could've taught you all of my fighting techniques and eventually given you your own special kunai, too." Minato squeezed his eyes closed. "I wish I could've seen you fall in love with Sakura for the first time. To eat dinner as a family in our own home. To walk you home from training. To just…spend time with you."

As his tears pooled on Naruto's skin, the Yondaime Hokage buried his face in his son's stomach and wept for the things that were never brought to fruition.

"_I'm so, so sorry."_

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><p><strong>an:** "It's a harsh reality." can be interpreted as being thought by both Sakura and Minato. "Protect your Hokage/ it goes without saying." Is the same way, though in more favor of Sakura. Thanks for reading this and please let me know what you think, I highly appreciate it!


	2. Far From Home

**a/n:** **I do not own Naruto or the cover art. Edit: 10/29/14**

I apologize about the first draft I originally had posted. I was so excited that it was done that I didn't realize what I had written. When I went back over it _after_ putting it up, I seriously didn't like it. I didn't change much, honestly.

Things that I changed: some descriptive details in MinatoxSakura's first meeting, some small details here and there, and Kushina is mentioned more in this chapter, and for a good reason.

While I am doing the best I can to keep characters in character, this remains a MinatoxSakura fanfic. But to get to that pairing, I have to go through MinatoxKushina and NarutoxSakura (yes, Naruto will be in this later.) Because of this, expect some chapters to move faster, like getting Kushina out of the way, hehe.

And, yes, Minato and Kushina are married in this, but he's also a _man. _Having experience living with a man, I've noticed that men tend to _notice _things. He's not cheating.

I hope you like this version a lot better, because I do!

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><p>"a<em>ll the places I've been and things I've seen<br>a million stories that made up a million shattered dreams  
>the faces of people I'll never see again<br>tnd I can't seem to find my way home."_

_-Far From Home, Five Finger Death Punch._

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><p>Sakura, with all the grace of a skilled ninja, did not pull a fancy move and land on her feet. Instead, she found herself flying through midair and kicking at Madara's ratty head, desperately trying to kick him off until he grabbed her ankle with both hands, digging his nails in, and throwing her to ground until she landed face first. He landed on his feet, laughing. "And you call yourself a ninja. Pitiful."<p>

Sakura spat out dirt and growled as she jumped to her feet, putting her fist in front of her. "Why did you follow me? What the hell do you want?" _Why does he look different?_

He tsked. "Such language is unbecoming of a lady."

It was silent. Too silent, and it was creeping Sakura out. She didn't want to be alone with this man. He gave off an aura of pure calmness that made her uneasy. It raised the hairs on the back of her neck, working its way into the back of her throat until she swallowed back a ball of saliva, settling in her stomach like poison. The heat from the sun wasn't helping and the sun was positioned behind him, so she had to squint to see him. He was smiling at her. Why was he smiling? And what happened to his hair?

"What did you do?" She dug her right foot into the ground behind her, readying herself as he took a small step forward.

"A by-product of becoming the Ten-Tail's Jinchuricki."

_No!_ Her eyes widened. "You're lying!" Her heart sped up not only in trepidation but also in knowing she didn't stand a chance. If he wanted to, Madara could kill her on the spot and her mission to save her friends would be over before it got started. _I can't let that happen. I gave the Fourth Hokage my word! I swore! I must protect my friends! _She willed her heart to calm and gritted her teeth.

"Believe what you want, but you can relax. I'm not here to kill you. Yet." He took another step forward.

She took a step back. "Then what the hell do you want?!" Her eyes trailed from his waist length red hair to the bright white coat to the odd-looking staff he was holding in his right hand. She sized the enemy up. _Besides the staff, I don't see anymore weapons or a place for some. But then again…_

"Becoming the jinchuricki was executed quicker than I thought it would. Even though I was slightly wounded, I found myself near you and overheard your plan. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to…set things in concrete." He gave an exaggerated eye roll and grinned.

"So, then…you know?" His grin grew.

"How to get back? Yes. Do I care about the consequences? No." Sakura needed to get sick, and _now._

"I won't let you! I made a promise!" She barked.

"You're determination is admirable, but I'm afraid it's not worth the effort." His eyes narrowed and he lunged forward.

Sakura dug her heels into the ground and tightened her arms, ready to hold her ground, but his attack never came. Just as quickly as his breath whispered across her face, he was gone.

"What the hell…?" Sakura didn't let up from her position as she scanned her surroundings. It was all green trees and dirt and sunshine. No Madara.

He had gotten away from her.

Her heart pounded faster until it made her vision cloud and it was all she could hear. How could he get away from her? How could he be so fast? How could she be so stupid? She panicked.

Looking towards the sky with tears meshing with Naruto's blood on her cheeks, Sakura screamed.

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><p>"Come on out wherever you're hiding Sensei! Sensei! Where are you!" Minato Namikaze rolled his eyes as Kakashi tried a new tactic. His students were always trying new strategies, but this had to be the most ridiculous of them all. He had finally convinced his students to think outside the box for once and this was the result. <em>This was probably Rin's idea. <em>Minato chuckled as he lounged against the back of a tree, his right leg hanging off the branch.

He was unprepared for the scream he heard, however. Thinking it was Rin, he jumped up and rushed toward to cry. _If this is a trick, they definitely have my attention. _He didn't have to run far, stopping only a few yards away.

He also wasn't ready for the sight that greeted him. _That's not Rin. _He eyeballed the pink-haired figure in and orange and black jacket screaming at the sky with her arms thrown back. _Yeah, that's definitely not Rin. _He quickly scanned what he could see for injuries but didn't see any sign of blood. Standing to his full height behind the woman, he patiently waited for her to stop hurting his ears. Minato raised an eyebrow as she started to kick at the dirt.

He laughed_._ "Did the dirt do something to you?"

When she twirled around, Minato did a double take. She looked scared and battle-ready with the red streaks on her face. _Could that be blood?_ Quickly scanning her once more for injuries, he agreed that she was indeed uninjured. Her emerald eyes were tinged with red, indicating that she'd been crying for some time.

Minato swallowed back air and his eyes narrowed; she was wearing the standard Konoha shinobi uniform. He couldn't see one, but he take a wild guess and assume she had the headband on her person as well.

Minato watched as the woman's eyes widened for a split second before they softened and her posture relaxed slightly.

"H-Hello." Her words came out trembling and Minato noticed her hands shaking.

"Are you okay?" He watched as her cheeks turned red.

"Uhm, yeah. I'm sorry about that. I'm not usually like that."

"Who are you?" The woman pushed her shoulders back, standing straight, and he had the sneaky suspicion that there was something more to this woman that what he could see.

"My name is Sakura, sir."

He quickly racked his brain for anyone in the village who resembled her and when he concluded he had never seen this woman before, he wondered if she'd slipped under his radar. "Well than, Sakura, my name is Minato Namikaze. Are you perhaps…lost?" He grinned at her appalled expression.

"No I am not! I know exactly where I'm at, thank you very much!" There was a fire burning in her eyes that reminded him of Kushina. _Heh, they'd probably get along real well. _He chuckled. "What are you laughing at?!" Sakura hissed.

Minato laughed even harder. He peeked an eye open and looked at her weary expression. He sniffed, hiding his smile as he pretended to wipe at his eyes. "If you're not lost, then why were you throwing a temper tantrum? You're obviously not a little girl." She hung her head and he regretted the words that left his lips.

"Ah…I'm sorry." His brows furrowed and he frowned as she stared at the ground. Her hand wiped at her eyes and he truly felt low. Her shoulders shook and she lifted her head.

She was laughing.

At him.

Minato mentally kicked himself in the ass for falling for her trick. He'd been on the receiving end of the same thing too many times from Kushina. He scowled and crossed his arms across his chest; idly fingering one of his kunai's hidden in one of the pockets of his jacket. One could never be _too_ careful.

"Serves you right." She laughed one last time before holding her hands up in surrender, smiling softly. "You can put the kunai down now. I would never hurt you." He raised a brow.

"Oh? And how do I know that?"

"You're the best candidate to be the Fourth Hokage, aren't you?" His teeth clicked as he spread his feet apart, going on the defensive. "It is my job as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village to protect the Hokage." She shuffled her feet, leaning on her right foot.

"Then as shinobi you know as an outside it's going to clearly take more than that to convince a fellow ninja." Nonetheless, he relaxed and put the kunai away.

She sighed and put her hands in her coat pocket. "A mission." Her voice was soft.

Minato looked at Sakura with a bemused expression. "I'm sorry?" Her eyes met his and the hair on his arms stood on end; her eyes were flat.

"I'm on a long term and dangerous mission from the Hokage. I've been sent to kill someone…and he just slipped through my fingers." Her head bowed. "He killed my friends."

There was a part of him that wanted to put a hand on her shoulder and say that everything would be alright. However, he was a ninja and ninja do not do that to strange people they meet in the middle of nowhere - especially not a Hokage-in-training.

"Then you should talk to the Hokage." He smiled at her hopeless look.

"What?"

"He can help you." He watched as her expression changed between shock, realization, sadness, and then to a calmness as her shoulders relaxed.

"Only if you give me an escort."

What?

"I said; only if you give me a personal escort to the Hokage." Did he say that aloud? Apparently.

"Now why would I do something like that?"

She smirked. "You don't trust me, right? So escort me and make sure I don't cause any…trouble."

He took his time to ponder the consequences, watching her shuffle her feet under his watchful eyes. In truth, it was a perfect idea. _She knows what she's doing._ "Wait here." Minato disappeared.

Sakura didn't have to wait long – one minute and five seconds, actually – before he appeared again, closer than before, startling her.

He honestly didn't expect her to still be waiting on him. "Sorry about that. I had some business to take care of." He stretched out a hand and she slowly placed her hand in his. His grip was warm and soft with just a touch of roughness from excessive combat. She blushed as his warmth seeped into her skin as he shook her hand, smiling widely.

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura."

Sakura just blushed harder.

* * *

><p><em>He really did it. The Fourth Hokage actually transported me to his past self! I can't believe this!<em>

Sakura didn't know weather or not to be overjoyed that she survived and so far the plan was working or to be completely turned off knowing she was in the _past_. It was weird and unsettling to be back in a place that shouldn't exist anymore. It gave her the creeps. There were dead people waling for crying out loud!

_I won't be here for long. Just prevent a war and then go back. Yeah. Totally simple._ Sakura sighed at her ridiculousness and started thinking of what to say to the Hokage. Or more importantly, where she would be staying. _Maybe the Hokage will understand my situation and be kind enough to lend me a place._ Sakura sighed again, this time in hopelessness. The Third Hokage was benevolent, but he wasn't going to give out a home to some stranger just like that.

"Is everything okay?" Sakura paused in her walking to stare at the smiling Yondaime. _No, he isn't Hokage yet._ She returned his smile.

"Yeah, just thinking about battle plans and stuff."

"Ah, I know an excellent strategist if you need one." He offered with a glint in his eyes.

"Really? Thanks, I appri-…wait. So does that mean you trust me?" She crossed her arms.

He grinned. "Hehe, nope!" With that, Minato continued to walk towards the village leaving a fuming Sakura behind.

_This is becoming a problem._ Sakura seethed in silent anger as she walked behind Konoha's Yellow Flash, rather bluntly looking him up and down. _Yeah, a big problem._ She knew that the Fourth Hokage was a handsome man from the first time she saw his picture in a book and in person, but that was _in a book_ and with Reanimation eyes. Dead eyes. The man in front of her was neither of those things so he did things to her that the previous could not: such as make her heart twitch with his electric blue eyes and make her stomach clench, but in a good way this time, from the way he said her name. Now the man was teasing her. Though there wasn't much about him in the history books, she sure didn't take him to be the teasing kind of guy.

_Definitely a problem._

The duo continued to walk silently until the reached the gates of Konoha. As Minato happily waved to the guards, Sakura busied herself with staring at the mountain. _Well I'll be damned, just three heads. _They walked into a village that shouldn't exist and Sakura drew in from every ounce of her ninja training she had not to cry. There were people who were alive that had died before the invasion, parents of friends, and different buildings. Someone bumped into her shoulder, yelling out a sorry as the person ran away. _It's more crowded, too. _Slacked jawed, Sakura stood rooted to the ground, taking everything in.

"This way." Her jaw snapped shut and she followed Minato towards the Hokage Tower, ignoring the stares she got as they marched towards the Hokage's door.

"Wait here." He looked apologetic as he walked into the office to speak with the Hokage. _Probably about me. _She shuffled her feet and glanced out of the corner of her eye, noticing a guard looking at her funny.

"What are you looking at," she sneered. He made a move to say something back but the office door opened with Minato beckoning her in and she gladly stepped in, stopping before the Hokage who was standing in front of his desk.

Sakura bowed low. "Lord Third Hokage, it is great to see you alive and well." At least she meant it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed. "Haha, what a greeting, especially by such a pretty young lady. Minato, why don't you ever greet me like that?" Sakura stood up straight and smiled. While she would miss her Lady Hokage, she had also missed the Hokage she grew up with.

"Search her."

What?! Before she could say anything, Minato was patting her down from her shoulders to her waist, at which point she shuddered, down her legs, and back up each leg, his fingers barely skimming the top of the inside of her thigh, making her tense up and blush. She glanced at Minato, his expression a façade of ease and complete calm and he made quick work of putting everything she had in a small bag and handing it to the Hokage.

She was sure Minato was keeping his emotions and facial expressions in check because she knew what she had on her. Including two of his own special kunai. She looked at him as he stood to her left. _Probably thinks I'm a thief. _She watched as The Third Hokage raided the bag as if it were a sack of toys, grinning at what she was assuming the Hiraishin Kunai.

"How old are you, girl?" Well _that _came out of nowhere.

"Eighteen, sir." _Is it just me or does he seem disappointed?_

"Minato here tells me you were on a mission from the Hokage. So tell me, Ms. Sakura, what kind of mission is it and who gave it to you, because _I_ certainly do not remember giving it to you." _If he thinks ending a somewhat threat with a smile is going to make this better, then he is so wrong._

She hesitated. _What do I tell them? 'I come from the future on a mission from the dead Fourth Hokage to not only kill Madara Uchiha, but also possibly prevent the Fourth and his wife from possibly dying and the decimation and complete and utter obliteration of the Village. _

Not a chance. Pushing her feet together and squaring her shoulders, Sakura spoke with confidence. "I'm on a mission, sir, from my Hokage. A long and dangerous one." She felt silly for repeating her earlier words.

Minato's lips quirked; he liked the way she said "my Hokage."

The Sandaime's face gave no expression. "And what kind of mission is that?"

Sakura paused and twiddled her thumbs, racking her brain for an excuse.

"Well?"

She sighed. "Sir, I think it would be best if you let Inonichi Yamanka search my mind."

Minato and the Third Hokage stared at her in surprise. "Why's that?"

Sakura's face deadpanned. "Because you wouldn't believe me even if told you."

The younger Sandaime scratched at his cheeks. "Well, it couldn't hurt. What'd'ya say, Minato?"

Minato shrugged. "As long as you don't mind me keeping an eye out."

"Haha, of course not!" Turning back to the young woman, Hiruzen Sarutobi gestured for her to sit in a chair. "Now, let's get you comfortable while we wait on Inoichi, shall we?"

She didn't move. "One condition."

Sarutobi sat back down and started writing, not bothering to look at her. "And what is this condition?"

"He has his memories erased afterward."

This woman clearly knew what she was doing and whom she was dealing with. His eyes narrowed. "Deal."

* * *

><p><em>Comfortable my ass!<em>

Sakura wiggled in her chair, trying to wake her numb butt, but her effort was fruitless. She wasn't sure if it was the Hokage's or Minato's idea, but the strapping young blonde had tied her to the chair with each foot tied around a chair leg as well. _This is not my idea of comfortable. Jeeeeerrrkkks._ Sakura scowled and wiggled again; it was hurting her. _How long was this man going to take? _Getting pissed, she decided to voice her opinion.

Minato answered her. "Now."

True to his word, Inoichi strutted in; red coated swaying behind him like he owned the damn place. _Geeze, what's with the older generation? Why couldn't we get any lookers like this?_ When he spoke, his voice came out deep and he sounded tired. "Are we ready?" Sarutobi nodded. Inoichi placed a hand on her head. _Straight to business, huh…._

"Hang on." She ignored the exaggerated sigh she heard behind her. "I know this is going to sound weird, but, I think it would be in your best interest, both of yours, to see what he sees." They stared at her. "Trust me on this one. Besides, it can't hurt." She winked.

After they shared a glance, Minato and the old man stood up and each placed a hand on Inoichi's shoulder. "Can you handle it, Ino?" At his nod, everybody closed their eyes.

It started as a gentle, unfamiliar poking at the back of her mind. At first she ignored it, not knowing what it was, but as it grew stronger her head started to throb and she winced. The pain kept growing until she finally succumbed to it and in that, she found immediate relief.

But with the relief also came the memories.

Sakura saw herself as a kid graduating from the Academy under Kakashi's guidance and then training under the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade. She saw herself working in the hospital and eating ramen, it was roast pork, with a newly arrived Naruto and Jiraiya. There was a small, sharp prick in her mind and she found herself staring at her more recent memories. She was sitting with Naruto on his couch as he talked about the Nine-Tails and how he met his Mom and Dad. The pain came on stronger and she cried out; and now she was seeing _Naruto's_ memories; his dad, the Fourth Hokage, and his Mom, Kushina. Sakura heaved in a breath and bit her lip as she watched the Nine-Tails be extracted from Kushina and attack the village, be sealed inside Naruto, and watched as his parents died.

"Please stop…" They didn't though, but the pain receded until she was back in the room with Naruto and Sakura blushed as Naruto cupped her cheeks and leaned in. Crying, Sakura forced the memories away.

Now staring at a decimated Konoha, a laughing Pein and a dead Jiraiya, she dug her nails into her thighs as the Fifth Hokage declared War. She watched as Obito and Madara got the best of them; a reanimated Fourth Hokage saving their ass but then giving her instructions on how to save them as she sobbed over Naruto's dead body; giving her the weapons.

Sakura wept and chocked on her sobs, no longer caring what they saw, barely noticing that the memory of the Fourth Hokage marking her didn't come up.

"Enough!" At the Third Hokage's shout, Inoichi retracted his hand, taking the remaining pain with it, and stumbled back, shell-shocked. Not even noticing Minato rushing to the other man and beginning to wipe his memories, Sakura slumped forward as much as she could.

Her vision blurred as the tears fell on her dirty pants. Swallowing saliva, she sniffed and squeezed her eyes shut. Someone cut the ropes tying her to the chair and she covered her eyes with her hands. She was a strong shinobi; she would not breakdown in front of the Hokage.

Someone place a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into Minato's eyes and saw sadness. Not pity - just pure unadulterated, uncloaked sadness. He squeezed her shoulder hard and smiled. Returning the gesture, she wiped at her eyes and stood up, radiating determination as she stared the Third Hokage in the eyes.

"Sir, I am at war. I may be at home, but I am also alone. I am a skilled medical-nin and my Taijutsu isn't the best. For that reason, I am unable to do this on my own." She pleaded with her eyes.

Sarutobi was silent for a moment before his eyes closed. "I'll give you a week. In that time, I want you training with Minato. I will also be making your…mission…official, is that clear?"

She gave a curt nod. "Sir, about Minato..." She glanced at said person and then back to the current Hokage. "I don't think you should erase his memories. I know what you saw is painful, but right now he's the best this village has to offer and one of the few that I will trust to work with. I don't want him getting caught off guard in the middle of battle."

Minato bristled. He was right here, ya know?

"And if you're making this official, then I'm going to need a team."

"Sounds fair." _She reminds me of my wife. Strong, determined. Such willpower. _

"I get to pick the team." _Sassy, too._

"If I get to review the final list, then you have my permission." Sakura beamed. She was actually getting somewhere.

"Thank you, my Lord."

"Heh, anything for a pretty young thing such as yourself!" He grinned.

Minato and Sakura deadpanned. "Minato, I want you to let her stay in one of your safe houses. Would that be a problem?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Sir, I think it would be better if she just stayed at my house. It would be easier to keep an eye on her in case something happens."

Sarutobi raised his eyebrows, muttered something about people calling him a pervert, and rolled his eyes. "Only if you keep an eye on her and watch your back. I don't need my best shinobi down for the count." He tossed Sakura her bag of weapons and she deftly caught it. _That was dangerous, Hokage._

"Sir." With a bow, Sakura followed Minato out of the Hokage's office and out of the tower.

* * *

><p>On the far less busy streets of Konoha, Sakura looked around and noticed no lights on in the houses, leaving only the pale light from the moon illuminating their walk to his house.<p>

_It must have taken longer than I thought to go through my memories. _She stared ahead at Minato. _At least it's over. _

Sakura wondered how Minato was taking all this; it wasn't exactly sugar and rainbows. It _sure_ as hell couldn't be easy to see your future son die. Or your wife for that matter. She herself would be bawling her eyes out on the floor, and yet here he was…calmly walking and with a smile on his face. _Is he defected or something?_ He looked at her with those blue eyes of his and her cheeks pinkened when she realized she was caught staring. He just smiled.

_No, just a really good man. A really good man that makes for a really good Hokage. _She tightened her grip on the strap of the bag containing her weapons as they reached his front door.

_Make that a really simple man. _It was a moderate house, lined with flowers on the balcony and wind chimes. _Well, he's to be the Fourth Hokage. It's not like he would be living in shambles right now. Moreover, he's too humble to be living somewhere extravagant. _Sakura bit the inside of her cheek as he opened the door for her, letting her in first and locking the door after he came in. Heart stomach flipped at the thought of being in the personal home of the Fourth Hokage's. _So weird. _

"Are you hungry?"She turned to him and couldn't help but think he looked homely and more handsome without his flack jacket and head protector. She blushed and scratched at her cheek. He was offering her food.

"Yes, sir. I haven't eaten properly in two days."

"Minato." She hid her hands in Naruto's – _it's hers now, _she's muses, _ - _jacket pockets.

"What?"

"My name is Minato, not sir. I am not your Hokage." He was looking at her with something akin to humor. She straightened her back and gritted her teeth.

"Listen. A Hokage is a Hokage no matter _when _I am. I am a shinobi. I have respect for my Hokage, even if they are dead, or in this case, not even Hokage yet. You will always be my Hokage. It is my right as a kunoichi of the Leaf." As she barked at him, Minato watched in awe of her raw grit and words. They struck him to the core, being very similar to his own beliefs.

_You will always be my Hokage. _

He blushed but did not say anything as he continued to stare at her hardened green eyes. He narrowed his eyes but she kept staring right back at him, daring him to defy her. Her will wasn't something to underestimate. A minute later, she blinked and he gave a small chuckle, flicking her on the forehead, right where her seal lay. "My name is Minato."

Sakura frowned, almost going cross-eyed as she tested his name out in her mind. "Fine…Minato."

Said blonde grinned heavily. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Again with the scowling. "Hehe, now. I'll make us some supper and you can take a shower while it's cooking, 'kay?"

She nodded. The weight of the day was starting to wear on her. She was dirty, bloody, she stunk, she was tired, and the adrenaline was finally starting to wear off as her shoulders sagged.

"I'll lend you some of my clothes tonight, is that alright?" She nodded, to tired to object."There's an extra bedroom down the hall and to the right with a bathroom attached to it. Let me have your clothes so I can wash them for you?" It was more of a statement then a question and Sakura felt way out of her element as she trudged through the Fourth Hok-…_Minato's _home.

It was a simple room with a bed, desk, some bookshelves with various books, and –she looked to the right- _a bathroom!_ Zooming to the bathroom Sakura all but yanked off the clothes, almost forgetting to fold them and wrap a towel around herself as Minato knocked on the bathroom door. "It's me. All of Kushina's things are in the washer right now, so I found the smallest thing I had."

She peeped her eyes around the cracked door, took the offered clothes with a happy 'thank you', and handed him her nasty ones in return. He left with a small wave, leaving her to her own devices.

Pushing off against the door, she dropped her towel and started the shower, turning it to the hottest setting before looking in the mirror. Ignoring her face for the moment, she checked over her body for any signs of injury. Aside from her breasts being sore from running, she was completely fine, just worn out. She twisted around, halfway sitting on the counter so she could see her back. Down her spinal column, written plain as day was a name. _Minato Namikaze. _She repeated the name repeatedly in her head, saying it differently each time.

Sakura Haruno now belonged to Minato Namikaze._ And he doesn't even know it._

Scrunching her face up so she wouldn't cry, she hopped off the counter and stood straight. Bringing a hand up to her cheek, she lightly fingered the blood markings she made on her face.

_Naruto's blood._

As she stood naked in front of the mirror, dragging a finger across the streak, Sakura mused bout her lost friend. _Naruto is dead._ Just as she test Minato's name earlier, she repeated the phrase again and again until it cemented in her brain, sinking in and making a home there.

If she gave up her mission now and returned home, he wouldn't be there to greet her with his silly grin and boisterous laughter. No more fierce determination and a Will of Fire that would show up anyone he crossed paths with. _First Sasuke, now Naruto._ Tears mingled with her fingers as she wiped harder at the red marks.

There would be no more glancing at each other when they thought no one was looking and no more sneaking kisses in the comfort of his apartment. No more…love. With Naruto's blood literally on her hands, she rubbed at her cold cheeks.

The blood wasn't coming off.

Sakura stared in unquestionable horror at herself in the mirror, then at her hand with the blood on it. A second later, she was scurrying into the shower, angrily scrubbing at her face. When she yanked on a piece of her hair, she stopped and stared at the bottom of the tub, watching as the blood swirled down the drain. Her eyes were unwavering as the water turned from red and back to clear, mixing with her tears. She clenched her fists.

"Goodbye, halcyon days."

* * *

><p>Sakura frowned as she pulled up the sleeves of Minato's shirt. He'd given her one of his usual long sleeved shirts and a pair of his jogging pants. No bra, no panties.<p>

She stiffened when her breasts brushed against the kitchen table when she reached for her spoon. _Oh dear god, I hope I'm not showing. _She slowly sipped on her soup as she watched Minato sip on his. The man was stunning in _and_ out of his uniform. He looked peaceful and content eating dinner with someone he just met. _And a good cook to boot!_ Smiling, she took another sip.

"This is really good, Minato."

Minato rubbed the back of his head. "Hehe, thanks. It's not much, I prefer Kushina's cooking myself, but I know hot soup helps warms a person up after a long mission on a cold night."

"Well, it's certainly doing its job." She yawned, stretching her arms above her head.

Minato bit his tongue and averted his eyes as her nipples protruded. _She fills the shirt out nicely._ He braced his calves against his chair until she lowered her arms.

"Speaking of which, where _is _Kushina, if you don't mind me asking?" He peeked above the rim of his glass as she bent over and wrote something on a piece of paper. His shirt was loose on her so it naturally sagged until he saw skin. She pushed her shoulders together and twiddled the pen and he got more than an eyeful.

_Yes,_ _Kushina. My wife. _Minato bit down on his glass and squeezed his thighs together, willing the blood rush to go somewhere else. "She's on the way back from a mission right now." Sakura peered at him through her lashes.

"You should let her know I'm here. I don't want any surprises." She crossed something out.

"I sent a messenger out earlier. She should be back around midday tomorrow."

"That's perfect." His fingers tightened around his glass and it was silent for a long moment before she put the pen down and stood up.

"Alright, I'm going to bed. I can't stay awake." She put her dishes in the sink and started walking away. "Thank you, Minato, for everything. Goodnight." She smiled at him from over her shoulder, the shirt hanging off one side. "Oh, and Minato?"

He hummed low in the back of his throat.

"I meant it when I said I wouldn't ever hurt you." With a smile, she walked away.

"Goodnight, Sakura." He watched as her hips swayed in his loose sweats, his eyes following her every movement. When her door finally closed Minato sat back in his chair, blew out a long breath, and relaxed.

"I miss Kushina…"

* * *

><p>Sakura sank into the warmth of the sheets, lifting her hips until her back cracked. "Unf. This feels sooo good." Shifting around, she picked up the discarded bag with her weapons in it. Setting it in front of her, she undid the knot and dumped the contents out on the bed. Separating her things by use, she silently counted.<p>

Something was missing.

With a frown, Sakura checked the spot where the bag had been to see if something fell out. _Nope._ She looked back at the bed and rechecked. One of Minato's special kunai's was missing. _Well it makes since, they are his. But, if he wanted them back he could've just taken them both instead of leaving just one. _Frowning, Sakura thought back through her day. She had only physically interacted with Naruto and Minato, unless you wanted to count Madara being transported to the past with her. Her eyes shot open, blankly staring at the door to the room as she fell back against the headboard.

Madara had stolen her only means of going home.

* * *

><p><strong>an:** So, how was this version? Any better? Again, I calmed down their first meeting, but Minato _is_ a man and at least Sakura can enjoy the eye candy, hehe.


	3. War

**a/n**: I do not own Naruto or the cover art. I'm sorry this chapter has taken me so long. I've been depressed because of the new _The Last_ trailer and the more recent manga pages that were leaked today. Also, while this chapter is a more of a HIGHLY IMPORTANT filler, but also NOT a filler, it was a bitch for me to write and it just killed me. And it's also just a tad shorter than the last chpter. Thanks for the reviews/favorites/follows/guest reviews!

**IMPORTANT:** I changed some things in the second chapter. Things that I changed: some descriptive details in MinatoxSakura's first meeting, some small details here and there, and Kushina is mentioned more in this chapter, and for a good reason. While I am doing the best I can to keep characters in character, this remains a MinatoxSakura fanfic. But to get to that pairing, I have to go through MinatoxKushina and NarutoxSakura (yes, Naruto will be in this later.)

Because of this, expect some chapters to move faster, like getting Kushina out of the way, hehe. And, yes, Minato and Kushina are married in this, but he's also a _man._Having experience living with a man, I've noticed that men tend to _notice _things. He's not cheating.

I apologize if parts of the chapter seem awkward, especially during the briefing. I also apologize if some character's aren't as expressive as you would want them - o me, since they are ninja, they are used to death, so to me it wouldn't faze them as much. It was difficult to write. But I think Sakura needed this time with Kushina.

I think it is fairly obvious who the "intruder" is here. I have plans! Please review if you have any questions!

* * *

><p><em>"a warning to the people, the good and the evil<em>  
><em>this is war<em>  
><em>to the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim<em>  
><em>this is war"<em>

_- "This is War," 30 Seconds to Mars_

* * *

><p>"You're telling me you want <em>me<em> to take your DNA and replicate it, making another you?"

Orochimaru stared at the man with red hair who refused to offer a name. Or an explanation. Simply appearing and demanding him to follow orders as if he was the boss was not the way he did things. He scoffed as the man continued to stand there as if he wasn't about to go anywhere anytime soon.

"Not – a – chance. That's what Shadow Clones are for. Use that, instead." Waving the man away, he turned back to his potions – they would go bad if he didn't tend to them soon.

"I need a more permanent one."

"Then be careful about how you dispense your chakra when using clones." He added a root to the mixture and coughed as it puffed in his face.

"I am aware of your…tampering. I can help you further your plans."

Orochimaru frowned and poured a blue liquid that smelled like sulfur into the mixture. "I don't need your help."

"That's where you're wrong."

The snake Sannin gritted his teeth and turned towards the intruder, ready to give him a piece of his mind; except his intruder wasn't there, someone else was. "You…you're supposed to be dead!" Orochimaru took a step back in shock and stared at the man with long, jagged black hair and red armor. He watched as the man's image flickered, and then turned off like a light bulb - revealing the man he met earlier. He clenched his fists until the test tube in his hand shattered, his eyes narrowing.

"Why would you need a permanent one?"

"I have my reasons."

Orochimaru weighed his options. It was simple enough; he could take a chance, attack the supposedly dead man and most likely have his ass handed to him, or he could take the mans offer and his chances of surviving this encounter go up by two percent and it could benefit him in the long run. _If he's still around, then he has to know something about immortality._ He glanced at the vial of blood the man offered him, sitting on his desk just like all of his other projects.

"Deal. Be back tomorrow."

The man smiled. "You've made the right choice, Orochimaru." His new…_partner_ was gone before he could blink.

Orochimaru's skin prickled as he washed his hands and pulled out some raw meat from a storage bin underneath the workshop table. He would need to start right away if he wanted to be done in two days. The faster he was done, the faster he could get some answers. He gave the vial one last look before heading down a flight of stairs covered by a constant genjutsu.

His grin was a wicked one. He couldn't wait to start, but he had some lab rats to feed first.

* * *

><p>"This is a powerful list."<p>

Minato accepted the paper from his Hokage, heading the words spoken. He scanned the names twice before peering at Sakura. _A powerful list indeed._

"I'm aware, sir. However, these are the only people that I'm willing to work with; along with a few of your highly regarded Anbu."

Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose. "These are my most powerful, and valuable, shinobi."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "I know, sir."

"Explain to me why you need this kind of man power."

"We fought with all five Kage's on our side –and we still couldn't win. Then we fought with our reanimated previous four Hokage's – and we still couldn't win. I know it's not much, but all except one Kage was too old for battle the first time, which left us at a severe disadvantage. The second time, and I mean this with all respect, sir, only Minato was truly able to keep up with Madara."

Minato watched as her fingers twitched and her shoulders tensed. "These are the people I trust with my life. I cannot put it any other way besides that I don't trust anyone else."

Minato put the paper on the Hokage's desk and spoke up. "And Kushina?"

Sakura averted her eyes. "Her knowledge of seals."

Minato leaned a hip against the desk. "She's taught me everything."

She placed her hands in her freshly clean jacket pockets as Sarutobi lit up his pipe. "Madara is the jinchuricki of the Ten-Tails. We are the distraction; Kushina is to draw the demon out."

Minato grinded his teeth. "At what cost?"

"Once she draws the bijuu out, Madara will die. She can chain the demon down long enough for us to kill it. I believe in her capabilities." She looked him in the eyes, silently begging him to agree.

"I'll do it."

Minato turned to the new voice. "Kushina." He gulped. He didn't want to lose her. "Are you sure?"At her insistent nod, he swallowed back his nerves. "Okay."

Sakura watched as Kushina walked up to her, sticking a hand out. "You're Sakura right? It's nice to meet you, ya know!" She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and shook the offered hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, too." _I can see where Naruto got his energy from._ Smiling, Sakura turned back to Minato. "So, about this mission. You have safe-houses, right?" He nodded. "Could we use the one you least use for the briefing today with the other, teammates?"

Minato didn't hesitate to nod. "When would you like for us to meet?"

"In two hours, if you don't mind."

"I can take you and Kushina there and then retrieve everyone else."

"That'd be great, thanks." Sakura turned to the Sandaime. "Sir, I would like for you to present as well."

He looked pleased. "I believe I can spare some time. But…"

She raised an eyebrow. "Sir?"

He set his pipe down on his desk, careful not to let ash spill. "Tsunade."

Sakura just chuckled. "Leave that little problem to me."

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the safe house on the outskirts of the village, Sakura immediately set to work, forgetting that Kushina was still there. So when the woman spoke up, Sakura jumped.<p>

"I'm sorry?"

Kushina sat in a nearby chair. "I asked what you were doing."

"Oh." Turning back to the wall, Sakura put her hair in a small ponytail, grabbed a sticky note with a name on it, and placed it high up on the wall. "I'm creating a pyramid, of sorts. A timeline, if you will, of what events lead to what, who did what to cause such an event, and any other serious event that I'm here for."

It was silent then and Sakura felt out of place, being alone with Naruto's mother. It was what Naruto had wanted all of his life and here she was, robbing him of that pleasure.

_He's dead, remember._ Biting her lip as she placed another sticky on the wall beside the first one, she berated herself in forgetting that one crucial fact. She had to remember that even if she did succeed in her mission, the Naruto she knew wouldn't be there to greet her. There would be a new one in his steed, one who grew up with parents.

As she taped a red string between the two notes, she thought about the Naruto who grew up alone. He always wanted to meet his parents, and he did, albeit briefly, but she knew he wanted more. She placed another sticky on the wall.

And here she was, all alone with his mother. If she somehow got her Naruto back, she would want to tell him about this. Placing another note on the wall, she sighed and was about to speak up, but Kushina beat her to it.

"He told me, ya know."

Sakura gave her a quizzical look before continuing with her work.

"Minato. In the letter he sent, he told me who you were. Where you're from. Mentioned something about a Naruto?" He voice was happy and chipper and Sakura marveled at how much Naruto was just like his mother.

"Please, tell me about my son."

Sakura twirled around to face the woman, eyeing her wearily. She looked happy, but there was a lost hope written on her face and in those deep violet eyes. She stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets and looked over her handiwork to make sure it was in correct order before sitting down in front of Kushina.

"I can't and you know that."

The woman look crushed but she kept the smile on her face. "Please, I need to know, ya know?"

She tensed at her words. "Why would you say that?"

Kushina looked at the woman with pink hair, noticing how her jacket was too big for her small frame and her favorite shade of orange. "That's his jacket, isn't it?" When the other woman's face noticeably hardened, Kushina grinned. "I knew it! He takes after me, doesn't he?"

Hesitantly, Sakura nodded. "You didn't answer my question."

Kushina rested her elbows on her knees and sighed. "Something doesn't feel right. Like something bad's going to happen. I've had this feeling for a few weeks now, and when I got the letter…it just got worse."

Sakura thought about the situation. She could feasibly tell her about Naruto because she was here to change things. So therefore, the Naruto she would give birth to could theoretically grow up to be somewhat different. He could take different paths because of how he would grow up. Everything could be different. Besides, she already had to tell them some things about them for the mission.

Kushina laughed as Sakura growled out something about _stupid_ and _time-travel._

"Yes, this is his jacket. Yes, he took after you, but he had his father's hair and eyes." Sakura smiled at Kushina's dopey grin.

"That's good."

She carefully worded her next words. "He had complete and utter control over the Nine-Tails. They were friends. They worked together in harmony." She shrank back in her seat as Kushina leapt out of her seat.

"Why would he have the Nine-Tails!? _I_ am the jinchuricki of the Nine-Tails, ya know!"

Sakura spoke softly and hugged her knees to her chest. "That's why I'm here. You'll find out later, I promise." Scowling, Kushina sat back down. "He trained with Jiraiya." Ignoring Kushina's snort, she continued. "He was powerful, even if he didn't know how to fully tap into his strength. He had an indomitable Will of Fire that amazed many people, friends and enemies alike. He never gave up and never went back on his word. That was his ninja way."

Sakura wiped at her eyes as the memory of a smaller Naruto promising to bring back the missing member of their team flooded her mind. "He had a beautiful soul."

Kushina paused. "Had?"

She nodded. "His death is what brought me here. The Minato there found us and gave me an opportunity to prevent…everything."

The corners of Kushina's lips curled inward. "And here you are."

"And here I am." She sniffled.

"I think…I think Naruto would be proud of you."

Sakura looked up at Kushina with surprise. "You think so?"

Kushina's ponytail bounced as she nodded. "You two were obviously close and you described the son that I would want to have. If he's anything like I would want, then I have to believe that my son, my Naruto, would be proud of you. I know I am. What you are doing isn't an easy task; it can't be easy for you – knowing that when you go back the one person you love most likely won't be the same."

As Sakura listen to the woman's word and took in her wide smile, she cried. She sat there, wide-eyed with tears streaking down her cheeks as Kushina reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She whimpered and leaned into the touch, resting her head on the flak jacket of the red head. Kushina wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and rubbed her back.

They stayed like that until Sakura stopped crying. "T-thank you…I needed that." Just as she wiped her eyes, Minato appeared with their teammates.

Squaring her shoulders, Sakura looked over her new team. From Minato's nonchalant attitude to Jiraiya's just as equal nonchalant posture and to Tsunade's stern but bored face. She sighed. She had her work cut out for her.

Tsunade growled. "What's this all about? I was gambling!"

"It's a secret mission that no one is to know about. You are the team members and this is your captain." As the Third Hokage stepped out of the shadows, Sakura took her place in front of her team, all eyes turning to her.

* * *

><p>Tsunade eyed the woman's rhombus; it was exactly like hers. "And you are…?"<p>

Sakura was overjoyed to see her teacher, but it saddened her to know that _this _Tsunade didn't know who she was. "A future student, Sensei."

She scoffed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Cracking her left thumb inside her pocket, Sakura looked toward the Sandaime for help, who proceeded to wink at her.

"I have complete trust in Sakura. You should listen to her." Tsunade huffed and crossed her arms.

Sakura took a deep breath and began. "I'm keeping this short and to the point. I'll start from the beginning. Ready?" At everyone's nod, she continued. "Sometime soon, Minato is to receive a mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge." She looked at the Thrid Hokage. "He _has _to receive this mission." He nodded. "Although the mission ends up a success, Obito Uchicha sacrifices himself in order to save Rin Nohara. Madara Uchicha," she holds up a palm at Tsunade and Jiraiya's startled faces, "finds and saves him." She pinched the bridge of her nose and blew out a breath before she continued.

"On October 10, when Minato, as the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina, are 26, they will have their first and only child. A son named Naruto. On that day, a man in a mask manages to kidnap Kushina and extract the Nine-Tails, which is weakened due to childbirth, using it to attack the village. Minato and Kushina die protecting Naruto and the village, after sealing the Nine-Tails inside their son." Sakura paused here and gauged their reactions. "Do you follow me so far?"

Jiraiya's gruff voice pierced the silence. "Who's the masked man?"

"Obito, who also goes by Tobi."

Jiraiya cursed. "Few years later, you-" she points to the pervert, "take Naruto and train him. He's even able to complete the Sage Mode."

He started laughing. "Ha! As if-"

"You are then killed by your former student, Nagato."

His laughter stopped and he looked from Minato, who remained emotionless, to Sakura. "What?"

"He creates the Six Paths of Pein. They are dead bodies manipulated by the real Nagato's chakra. One of these "Pein's" kills you. And destroy the entire Hidden Leaf Village."

The Toad Sage didn't say anything, but Tsunade did. "Then why am I here?"

Sakura grinned. "You, my Lady, are the Fifth Hokage, and my Sensei. You taught me well."

Tsunade blushed and scoffed. "You're lying. The Hokage is a worthless title, with no offense to Lord Third." He grumbled out a _'none taken.'_

Sakura's lips curled at the edges and she stared at her teacher with the same respect she had to _earn._ "That's where you are wrong. You are a strong and brave woman who stood up for your village and protected it to the fullest of your capabilities. You were admired. You were loved. You were a Hokage worthy of the title!"

Tsunade's shoulders sagged. "Prove it."

Relief flooded Sakura. "You left Konoha because you lost faith in your healing abilities and your now scared of blood. Oh, and you have a pet pig named TonTon that Shizune mostly takes care of. And you suck at gambling, which you get from your grandfather."

Jiraiya chuckled and Tsunade smacked him on the head. "Whatever. Go on."

Sakura shifted her weight to her other leg. "Aside from a group that goes by the Akatsuki, nothing too major happens. Tsunade declares war and the five Kage's all come together to fight Madara Uchiha. The previous four Hokage's are resurrected and it's Minato that finds myself and a dying Naruto, who then sends me here. And, here I am."

Jiraiya gave a low whistle. "Damn. All the Kage's and you still couldn't stop the man."

Sakura nodded. "Yes."

Tsunade scratched at her cheek. "But how is Madara still alive?"

Sakura slapped her hand against the wall with the notes. "That's what this is for. It's the _who_ and _what_ of why I'm here." She pointed to the top sticky. "Kaguya; the princess, is the real cause of everything, but she's already dead." She point to the sticky underneath that one. "Her two sons join to make Black Zetsu, which is what I'm after. I don't know where he is or where to find him. He's dangerous." She traced a finger on the red line to a sticky out to the side. "Madara Uchiha. My ultimate goal."

There were no questions so far, so she continued to the sticky underneath Madara's. "Obito. We stop the Kannabi mission from going horribly wrong and almost everything else doesn't happen. No destruction of Konoha. No deaths, no war." Her heart pounded in her chest. It seemed like a distant dream to her.

She pointed to several notes underneath Obito's. "Nagato, Konan, Yahiko, and Black Zetsu." She took in Jiraiya's surprised face.

"What did you say?"

"Yahiko is the creator of the Akatsuki and cannot be reasoned with. Nagato, however, after destroying the village, used his last bit of chakra to restore all the lives taken in Konoha after listening to Naruto. So, he can be reasoned with. Konan doesn't have a particularly big place in this. But Black Zetsu…he's the one behind many things. Including deciding whom in the Uchicha clan gets the Rennigen, which is what Madara possesses. He's the top priority."

Kushina pointed towards the sticky note attached to another red string out to the side. "And that one?"

Sakura frowned. "Orochimaru. He has Hashirama's DNA cells that he uses along with Danzo. It's a small subplot, but it cannot progress."

The Thrid Hokage sputtered. "Danzo?!"

She nodded. "A traitor. Orochimaru is no surprise to any of us and will defect from the village in some time, but please, keep an eye out for Danzo, Lord Third. Be wary."

He slowly nodded. "My power lies within my medical skills and my strength, so I'll be training with Minato for the next few days. We will meet again in the Hokage's tower in exactly six days. Be prepared for anything."

Sakura gulped. "Just…one more thing. The Madara from my time hitched a ride with me when I came here. So he's here, somewhere. And with my only means of going home." She tried _really_ hard not to notice the disappointed on Tsunade's face.

"And that would be?"

"The Hiraishin of Minato's. I'm aware that you can transport yourself to it, but don't. I don't need you dead." The blonde nodded. "I have a statement from the future you I need clarified."

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"He said that if something happened to the Hiraishin that brought me here, you would be able to create a new one, although it would take you a year, but you wouldn't be sure if it would work. Mostly because the one I already had was from the past with present day chakra infused with it, but a new one would only have the _past_ chakra infused with it, so it might not work. He said there was a tiny chance it might, and if it did, I could land _anywhere_ or _anywhen_ after you have already created your seals. Is this correct?"

Minato knew what jutsu would get her home, he was already in the process of making it. He nodded. "Theoretically. The jutsu you are talking about - I'm almost done with it. I can alter the jutsu if you want to have a dummy Hiraishin, just to see if it'll work."

Sakura's heart deflated at his words. "That would be great, thanks." She looked towards her teacher, hoping to find some sort of encouragement there, but instead found her eyes closed. _This is my chance!_ Rushing to older woman, Sakura stealthily cut open her palm with a kunai and smashed her cut palm, blood and all, into Tsunade's face.

The woman stumbled back into Jiraiya's arms, trembling. "What...did you…do?"

With blood still dripping from the fresh wound, Sakura looked down at her master for the first time. "You are my Sensei, and as your student I only did what was best for you. This phobia of yours needs to stop. You're the best medical ninja this world has to offer and you know it. And as your student, I need your help. I wish nothing more than to fight by your side, once again."

As Jiraiya rubbed Tsunade's back, Sakura gathered the notes on the wall and lit them on fire. Turning to Minato and Kushina, she smiled. "So, training?"

* * *

><p>Kushina hummed as she picked up a plump red tomato. "I hope Sakura likes tomato soup." Picking up some bread and extra lunchmeat just incase she decided to make the team lunch, she paid for her things and left the store. <em>I feel bad about not joining Minato's training with Sakura, but I'm still worn out from my last mission.<em> She giggled as she thought about how Sakura was faring against her husband. He didn't go easy on anybody. "She'll be fine."

Unlocking her front door, still humming, a hand immediately slammed her against the door, covering her mouth. Years of training kicked in and she reached into her vest pocket for a kunai, the groceries dropping to the floor.

"Ah, ah, ah. Can't have that can we?" With a quick flick and a sharp pain, both of her wrists fell limply to her sides, the kunai slipping from her grasps. She bit back the pain.

Kushina tried to move her mouth – to scream, to do anything, but the person – a man, - just pressed his hand harder. She felt a tooth crack and soon enough she felt blood trickle out of her mouth. Sending chakra to her feet, she swung one foot up.

The man caught it and twisted it to the right, effectively breaking it. He quickly dropped the useless leg and immediately caught the other one, twisting it as well. This time, Kushina's scream made it past the man's hand.

As she was held against the wall, helpless and unable to move, Kushina watched as the man moved closer, and into the light. _Who is he?_

The man smiled and delivered a powerful punch to her stomach, right over her seal. The last thing Kushina noticed before she closed her eyes for the last time was the stranger unraveling a scroll. She made out the word '_Nine-Tail's_ before she closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>Minato narrowly dodged a punch Sakura threw at him and felt a small twinge in his chakra. Someone was summoning him. Quickly making a large '<em>t´<em> with his hands, he pulled the kunai out and narrowed his eyes. _It must be important. Everyone else knows where I am._ He looked at Sakura. "Mind if we visit the village for a second?"

"Sure." He placed a hand on her shoulder and transported them to the center of the Leaf.

They were met with chaos. People were either just standing there, looking at the same thing, or they were running amok – some screaming for the Hokage, people bumping into each other, and some were even screaming for _him._

"What the hell's going on!" Minato turn to the right and then the right, looking for the person who summoned him when he spotted Kakashi looking towards the Hokage Tower. Following his gaze, Minato's mouth dropped and his eyes started to water.

"Kushina…"

She was high up on the tower with one of his special kunai's in her head, right where her forehead protector should have been. Her shirt and vest had been sliced open to reveal her stomach and he growled when he noticed that the seal for the Nine-Tails wasn't there.

"There's something written on her stomach."

Barely registering Sakura's words, he focused his gaze to her now bare stomach and read the words aloud. "'I'm waiting.'" He scowled. "Who the fuck's waiting!?"

"Madara."

Minato swirled around to face the woman with pink hair. She was crying, and he didn't say anything. He just growled and jumped until he reached his dead wife.

Training could wait; he had a wife to burry.

* * *

><p><strong>an:** I told you I would take care of Kushina early. PLEASE DON'T HATE ME. I think this chapter does exactly what I need to do – take care of Kushina (which serves a bigger purpose), the deal with Orochimaru and Madara, and you finally get to see how Sakura will handle her mission. Kushina was never meant to be a part of the team. Now that she is out of the way, Minato and Sakura can advance, and they shall next chapter. Although I am trying to keep them in character, for at least half of the next chapter, Minato will be fluctuating before he finally settles back into his old self. I have a dark story planned for Sakura and Naruto (a separate fanfic) that's mainly focused on sex, hehe.

I'm aware that I might not have all the events listed in the correct order, but I'll try to keep them in order for as long as I can, kay? Please review and let me know what you think, I would really appreciate the feedback.


	4. Don't Look Down (Chapter 4 Remake)

**a/n:** Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the cover art.

**Important: **I'm sorry it took me so long to get this up here, school really took a lot out of me. So I added a LOT to this chapter. Almost 2 whole pages. I fixed my grammar errors and anything else. I will address some the situation between a dead Naruto and MinaSaku some more in a later chapter. Also, my "R" key decided to get stuck. I fixed it as best as I could, but if you notice something that should have an "R" in it, and it doesn't, lemme know. I hope you like this one better. Please review, I really appreciate it!

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><p>"<em>I coulda gave up then but<br>then again I couldn't have cause  
>I've traveled all this way for something<br>I take it in but don't look down."_

_-On Top of the World, Imagine Dragons_

* * *

><p>Sweat dripped from a furrowed pink brow, down the slope of a nose and onto Sakura's heaving chest. Placing a hand against the side of the tree she was currently trying, and failing, to hide from, she took a few deep breaths before making a shadow clone and sprinting off somewhere she could <em>hopefully<em> hide from the blonde devil that was Minato.

When he said they would start her training the day after Kushina's funeral – three days ago – she had hoped it would be with his students, somewhat. She wasn't even sure she was prepared to see a younger version of her beloved Sensei just yet. Or the man that had caused such tragedies. Or anyone else that was supposed to be dead. While she was used to the idea of being in the past, being a ninja meant being able to adapt to things quickly, she found it harder and harder to get used to the dead people walking.

It overwhelmed her sometimes, usually at night and she thought back on her day. It unsettled her and she found herself wiping away more tears then she would have liked.

Then again, that could also be because Kushina died. With her dead, Naruto was no more: even if she did go back home.

Sakura cursed under her breath as unfamiliar memories on Minato pinning her to a tree with a kunai popped into her mind. _Fucking focus!_

She took off into a run, hands at the ready, and cursed her lack of attention when she spotted a shock of blonde to her right. Sakura jumped onto the trunk of nearby tree, dodging a punch thrown by Minato. _His speed is incredible!_ Concentrating chakra into her right hand, she landed a blow to his right shoulder, and was satisfied when she heard it pop out of place. _That should slow him some. _

Minato's lip curled and she had just enough time to put her arms up in front of her as he started throwing punches with his left hand combined with graceful, high-swung kicks. Spotting a break in between hits, she brushed his left hand away and punched him in the nose, breaking it. As he staggered, she twisted her foot and delivered a roundhouse to his face.

Spitting out blood, Minato stumbled before regaining his composure, back flipping and zipping to her, Hiraishin in hand. Ready to repeat her earlier performance, Sakura dug her heels in the ground. Putting her hands up, she focused on his hands, unprepared for him swooping down and knocking her off her feet. _A distraction…?!_

Sakura's feet twisted but Minato grabbed her throat instead, shoving her to the ground, his kunai at her throat. With his knees on either side of her and his blonde hair and those blue eyes hovering above her, he looked a lot like…

"Game."

_Naruto._

Minato stared at the woman beneath him – hair and arms spread out, out of breath, eyes shining, and a flush to her cheeks. Startled, and more than a bit more embarrassed, he jumped up with a low '_sorry' _and offered his left hand. More then a little afraid to look him in the eyes, she willed herself not to cry as she took his hand and he teleported them home.

Yes, Minato was definitely a distraction.

* * *

><p>Sakura's heart thundered in her chest and did her best to make light conversation with Minato as he rummaged around for some gauze in his bathroom. The image of him blocking out the sun from above teased her mind with images of him above her for something else entirely. While the thoughts weren't unpleasant, it was becoming increasingly harder for her to see him as <em>Minato <em>and not _Naruto. _

It should have been easier than that though. Where Naruto was brash and thought with his fists, Minato was levelheaded and thought with his brain before rushing into danger. Still, her nostrils flared at the loss of the younger blonde. _Minato will never get to know his own son!_

"Your face is really red and you look like you're about to cry." Startled, Sakura fell from her place on the tub's rim and hit her head on the shower wall. Smooth, real smooth.

"Are you okay?"

Gathering her remaining dignity, she took her previous spot, quickly wiping at her eyes. "Yeah, just startled me." She patted the spot next to her. "Let me heal your wounds." The man sat next to her.

"You should heal yourself first."

"That's a sweet gesture, but I'll be fine. I'm not the one with a broken nose and a dislocated shoulder." She put her hands on said shoulder.

"And whose fault is that?"

Instead of hitting him on the head like she wanted, Sakura settled for popping his shoulder back in place without warning, happy with his pained expression. "I'll heal myself afterwards, deal?"

"Deal."

"Good. Now hold still."

"Wait, wh-mmph!" Sakura threaded a hand through Minato's hair, gripped the blonde locks at the base of his neck, and quickly snapped his nose back in place. As Minato slammed his head against her shoulder and hissed at the pain, she tensed and ran her thumb in circles, murmuring her apologies. He could've fixed his own nose, but she broke it so she would fix it.

Blocking out images of her resetting bones of another blonde, she relaxed her shoulders, glanced around and wasn't surprised to not find a trace of Kushina left. Minato moved everything of hers, save a few select pictures, out and into storage. _I wonder how he's taking this. I mean, he did just loose his wife. _

Frowning as Minato pulled away, she checked him over. Besides a few cuts and bruises, the man was fine. He rubbed nose and she placed a hand on his chest. _He seems to be taking the loss in stride. Like he's not going to let it go to him. _Her hands glowed green and her chakra filtered through his blue shirt and into his skin, healing him.

They buried Kushina the day they found her – three days go - in a very small, nondescript service with only Minato, Jiraiya, the Third Hokage, and herself. Her body had been looked over for any hidden seals, jutsu's, or _something_, but there was nothing. Just a dead body left for anyone to find. For Minato to find. Madara had stolen the Nine-Tails and he had done it right under their noses. _How long has he been hiding here? Why didn't we notice sooner?_

Minato winced as she sent more chakra than she intended to and she murmured an apology.

"Minato…"

"Yeah?"

Sakura bit her lip – she wasn't sure she needed to be asking this – it wasn't her place. "Are…how…Kushina…" She sighed and bowed her head, not being able to look him in the eyes. "How are you doing?"

Minato placed a hand on her shoulder and suddenly she was looking at a smile that could rival Naruto's. "I'm doing well." He applied some pressure before resting his hand on his thigh.

"Yeah…but…"

He smiled. "I can't look at this in a negative way. For one, Kushina wouldn't want me to weep and mourn. I was prepared for death the moment I became a shinobi. Yes, I lost my wife and I will always be sad about that, but I will always cherish my precious moments with her. Master Jiraiya once said that being a shinobi meant that death was everywhere and was inevitable, to be prepared, and to not let your emotions overcome you, especially in war. I won't let this get to me. Death is all around us. I've come to terms with it."

Sakura didn't know what to do. He was staring at her with such a calm expression as he told her that he was over his wife's death and ready to move on and just so…_calm._ And happy.

Peaceful.

It pissed her off. What about Naruto? What about his _son_ that he's never going to have?

She stared at the man in font of her in disbelief. Her eyes searched his eyes, his face, for something that would calm her down beating drum that was her heart. Her hands tightened on his chest and suddenly she couldn't breathe. What was wrong with this man? Would he not miss his son?!

She stared him in the eyes, drowning in the ocean, her lungs refusing the air escaping from Minato. His brows furrowed and she was close to hyperventilating when he put his hands on her shoulders and slightly pushed her back.

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

His name escaped her lips on a whisper. "N...Naruto." And just like that, the lost boy's strength became her new breath. Sakura stood up, towering over Minato. "What about Naruto? He was to be your son! That's not something to just…brush off!"

Minato's arms hung in front of him, useless. "Sakura…" He had no words. He could easily explain the situation with Kushina, but it was more difficult to explain a situation with a potential son. He wasn't sure how to feel about it himself, to be honest.

"Because of me…because of me being here and just wanting to protect her and help stop the war in the future, I got her killed. This is my fault. It's my fault that you lost your wife." Forgetting that she was in the company of the future Fourth Hokage, Sakura sank to her knees against the edge of the tub. Digging the heel of her hands into her eyes, she hiccuped. "It's my fault you won't ever get to meet your son. It's my fault I lost my best friend."

His eyes softened on the weeping woman at his feet. He had only dealt with Kushina in a situation like this, so he didn't have much to go on. Reminding himself that it was too soon, he sat himself beside the woman and sighed. Gently, he placed his left arm around Sakura. When her breath hitched before releasing on a shuddering, sobbing breath, Minato wrapped his other arm around her and pulled Sakura into his shoulder into an awkward side hug.

"I'm so sorry."

His eyes clenched shut before he blew out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Look, Sakura. I can't tell you have I feel about this with Naruto because to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel myself. What I do know, however, is that this is _not _your fault. You have to believe that."

He didn't run his fingers through her hair and he didn't wipe away her tears. _Too soon._

He did, however, mummer into her hair. "I'm not brushing off on not getting my son. Sure, I'm sad that I won't be able to meet the Naruto you grew up with, but Kushina and I hadn't even thought of having kids yet. So, it's weird. I can't really explain it. But none of this is your fault."

He must have said something right, because Sakura stopped the dry heaving and turned her head into his arm. "I just feel responsible."

"Sakura, look at me." When she didn't move, Minato placed a finger on her chin and lifted her face to his level. Her eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks were an angry red, and some of her hair was plastered to her face. She was beautiful.

Quietly, and quickly, scolding himself, he retracted his hand. "This isn't your fault. Trust me. And I'm here if you want to talk." His cheeks flushed.

Sakura swallowed back her heart. "Yeah, well…I'm here…if you want to talk, too, ya know…" She sat back up, wiped away her tears and placed her hands on his chest again, intent on finally healing him. "And thank you."

He grinned. "Thank you Sakura, I might take you up on that offer one day. And you're welcome."

She didn't respond, just concentrated on healing the man in front of her. He was a strong Shinobi who knew the risks and didn't let a bad situation consume him. He had a deep seeded Will of Fire that she was rapidly growing to admire.

Or maybe it was the man himself.

Sakura glanced at Minato once more.

_Protect your Hokage._ The words rang loud and clear in her head.

* * *

><p>To say he was touched would be an understatement. Minato wasn't particularly close with anyone, so there wasn't an ear just waiting for him to chat up; and every shinobi knew that it was always good to talk to someone. But this woman, whom he met just days ago, was offering to be there for him in he needed it. What he said had been true – he didn't want mourning to overtake his life and he wasn't the type to sulk around. He was a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. Death was common. It hurt, yes, but he would <em>live.<em>

Feeling a lot better, in more ways than one, he cleaned a wound on her thigh with alcohol before dabbing it with some ointment then bandaging it. Her chakra was warm against his chest, pulsing through his veins.

"You don't have to do that."

"I know." Grabbing another cotton ball, he gently wiped at one of her cheeks, her warm breath brushing against his bangs. He dabbed more ointment on, telling himself the flush on her cheeks was from the wound, and put a bandage over it, their knees brushing together for a moment. He leaned back and watched as she finished healing him.

"I was going to stop by the Hokage's office after this. Wanna join?"

She pulled her hands away. "Sure, I wanted to talk to him anyways. How do you feel?"

He stood up and stretched, noticing Sakura did the same thing. "Great, thanks to you."

"Heh, no problem!"

Yeah, definitely beautiful.

* * *

><p>"He was able to hide right under our noses – we can use that to our advantage. We need to be on the lookout for certain jutsu's: Wood Clones or any type of high-level Genjutsu."<p>

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe. "You're right, Minato. And the battle plans?"

Sakura spoke up. "To be honest, I can't decide between taking Orochimaru and Black Zetsu out first, so I was thinking of dividing the team to take them out at the same time. Minato and I will go after Orochimaru and Jiraiya and Tsunade could go after Black Zetsu."

The Third Hokage mulled over this. They could cover more ground, even if it meant splitting the team. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. I trust them. And don't worry about Tsunade – I believe in her."

"Very well. But answer me this; why not have Jiraiya and Tsunade go after Orochimaru?"

This was the stuff shinobi were made for, Sakura reasoned. "In case there are any lingering feelings of companionship. I watched one of my team member's defect from the village and I once thought it was possible to bring him back." She steeled her shoulders and balled her fists, her failure still tasting sour on her tongue. "I tried and tried, but it wasn't possible. I only ended up hurting myself in the end."

Someone once told her that it wasn't worth it. That someone also received a broken nose with a fat lip and a missing tooth. It was worth it to _her _and Naruto and Kakashi. That's all that mattered. A tiny piece of their family was gone and she just wanted it back. No matter the cost.

Now look where she was.

The old man pinched the bridge of his nose. "He has yet to defect, so you aren't to kill him. Just bring him in; he will pay for his crimes. The other one – Black Zetsu…" He shifted an emotionless gaze upon the two ninja in front of him. "I'll leave that up to you."

They nodded, already knowing what they would do.

"Meet back here in two days. You can go now."

Closing the door behind her, Sakura reached towards Minato's arm. She needed a big favor and she wasn't sure how he was going to react.

He looked at her with curious eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Uhm, no…I just….have a favor. A big one."

"Yeah? What do you need?"

Her arm dropped from his and she looked him in the eyes - electric blue meeting emerald green and Sakura swore it was like talking to Naruto all over again.

"I want you to teach me the Rasengan."

* * *

><p><strong>an:** I would really appreciate it if some of you would review. I just want some feedback. Lemme know how I'm going. As soon as this goes up, I'll start witting chapter 5. See you soon!


	5. Flying Thunder

**a/n:** I do not own Naruto or the cover art.

**IMPORTANT:** I redid and added about 2 pages to chapter 4; important situations. Fixed any grammar errors. Please go back and read that. It's a lot better now Thank you to those of you who are reviewing/favoriting/following/anything. It really does mean a lot to me. Please review! Also, just about every in here about the Flying Thunder God Jutsu is correct. I did my homework. However, the makings of the formula for the seal is my doing.

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><p><em>"It gives me strength to have somebody to fight for;<em>  
><em>I can never fight for myself, but, for others, I can kill."<em>

_-Emilie Autumn_

* * *

><p>It was his best creation yet.<p>

Orochimaru stood back from the surgeons table and looked over his new…accomplishment with an appreciative eye. He based it on what the man looked like without the red hair. It had the same ratty black hair, skin color, emotionless black eyes, and even the same damn blood running through its veins.

All it needed now was chakra from the real thing.

Unfortunately, making the clone for Madara left him drained. He sagged against a nearby table and drew in a deep breath. The clone was finished earlier than planned and he had no way to contact his client. It was a shame he couldn't see his finest creation come to life sooner. He wanted to see it walk like the real thing; see it in action.

There was a hack and a glob of spit landed next to his foot.

With a disgruntled face, he scanned the cages until his gaze landed on the culprit. Another nameless subject who thought they could break free. Pushing himself off the desk, he stood in font of the young boy who was doing his best to stare him down. He was doing a poor job. Smirking, he summoned a snake and dropped it in the boys' cage. He turned and left as the shrieks and whimpers got louder. Shutting the secret door to the cellar, a sudden headache rocked his head and he made a fast pace towards the chair at his desk.

He eyed the vast assortment of flasks filled with an even wider selection of color. He idly wondered how in the hell he was going to get in touch with Madara, or if he should just wait.

A mouse skirted by a one of the bigger flasks.

Maybe he should try to find Madara now before Danzo finds out what he was up to.

Wishing he had gotten more sleep, he slowly sat up and grabbed an empty flask, the vial with Madara's blood, and a flask containing a black liquid.

"I hope that's pertaining to the job I requested of you."

Snapping his neck to the entrance of the cave, Orochimaru didn't know weather to be relieved that Madara had decided to seek him out or scared shitless because he was able to sneak up on him.

"No."

"Oh? And may I ask why that is?"

He really didn't want to go back downstairs. "I have a surprise for you. Follow me." Not checking to see if the man with obscenely long red hair was following him, he tailed down the stairs, guided more by familiarity then by the small slither of light from the torches on the walls. It was a small pleasure to see the boy who had so bravely stood against him earlier lying on the floor with a blank stare. He held a hand out and with a sharp whistle, the snake crawled up his leg and torso and back into his hand.

Turning towards the finished clone, he was relieved to see Madara had indeed followed him and was now looking over the naked clone with what he hoped was an appreciative eye.

"I was so excited I finished it in record time. The only thing it needs now is chakra from the real thing."

Without another word, there was a glimmer of light before it was sucked into the flesh of the clone. "It'll take an hour for the clone to completely be animated."

"I must say, this is some fascinating work." There was a twitch on a finger of the clone's body.

"Thanks."

Madara faced him and Orochimaru didn't like the look in his eyes. "I'm going to need one more favor."

"And that is…?"

"A space in one of your cages."

He eyed the dead boy wearily. "Lucky for you, I've got some vacancy."

Something told him to watch the shadows.

* * *

><p>Minato blinked. Had he heard wrong? "You want me to what?"<p>

"I want you to teach me the Rasengan."

Okay, maybe he hadn't heard wrong. "Why?"

"My specialty is medicine and Genjutsu. I'm not strong enough in Taijutsu or Ninjutsu. But I have excellent chakra control. I need something to use besides my fists."

Minato didn't say anything.

Her shoulders sagged just an inch. "I feel useless if I don't have an upperhand. I have my seal, yes, but it's just a boost." Her voice got softer towards the end her eyes looked at something else. "I was going to ask Naruto, but…"

"No."

She squeaked. "W-why not?"

He eyed the muscles on her arms, the strength in her thighs, and he had his answer. "You don't need to learn it."

"S-sorry?"

"Because what you lack is speed, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. With the proper training, you could have the stealth skills and become an assassin. Your chakra control is excellent for many things, including learning the Rasengan. I have no doubt that you would easily be able to learn it. But it's not what I want you to learn." He stuck a hand in a pocket. Palmed a kunai.

Her cheeks were flushing. "Then…what?"

It was inconvenient timing, but Minato suddenly realized that Sakura's pink hair clashed with the orange and black jacket she was wearing. Eyeing the red outfit she usually wore, he suddenly realized it must have been Naruto's. The son he would never get to have. Figuring he was doing the right thing, he pulled out one of his Hiraishin and held it between them.

"I'm going to teach you the Flying Thunder God Jutsu."

Her eyes widened and she looked nervous. "But…why this one? This is your signature. It was developed by the Second Hokage and...and…"

"I have the feeling your Naruto would want you to."

When she didn't say anything, he took her hand and placed the kunai in her palm, closing her fingers around it. "I want you to get used to its weight and shape while I talk to the Hokage. Your training starts now."

He popped back into the Hokage's office and reserved a training ground for the next two days. When he walked back out, Sakura was in the same spot, idly running a finger along a sharpened edge. It just occurred to him that he didn't get to extend the offer to his late wife. Pushing those thoughts aside, he stood in front of Sakura and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Now, I want you to pay attention to how it feels when we teleport. Quickly familiarize yourself with it. Don't let it overwhelm you. Absorb it. Let it sink in."

She looked at him with eyes of sea glass that were made of concrete and steel and he had no doubt she would be a fast learner. "Okay."

They teleported.

A familiar sense of emptiness enshrouded his being, leaving him cold and longing for warmth. The tingling started in his toes, but it spread like wildfire up his body. Up to his head and back down to his stomach, where it curled into a ball and burned.

Then it was over.

Years of practice let Minato land swiftly on his feet, but Sakura did not have his experience. He grabbed her arm and yanked her to him before she fell. Her head knocked on his chest and she took a step back.

She swayed. "This isn't my first time, but damn, does it get better?"

He chuckled and held his arms out just incase she fell. "It does – but only from experience."

She stood still and took a deep breath before nodding. "Okay. Ready."

He nodded as well. "Good. Now tell me what you felt during the teleportation."

"It was like being swallowed up by a black hole. It was cold." She made gestures with her hands. "I felt empty. Empty all over. Then it was over."

"Good. It usually stays like that but lessens with experience."

"Can't wait, haha."

He smirked. "I'll explain the basics so listen carefully. You know that I didn't create it, Tobirama did." She nodded. "I'll explain how I use it. Where are you with the weight and shape?"

"I'll have to use it in battle to truly figure that out. But I think I'm doing well."

"As expected. Now," he held up his own kunai. "I use the Hiraishin in conjunction with my Space-Time Jutsu, which I will teach you first. It's a formula." He pointed to the seal wrapped around the handle. "You permanently seal some of your chakra into the formula. Combined with the justu, you can instantly transport yourself to anywhere you throw the Hiraishin. You can take anything or anyone with you, it just takes a different amount of chakra depending on the size and weight. Follow?"

She did. It was simpler than she thought. "Yes."

"Good." He paused before continuing. "Do you know any summons?"

Ah. Katsuyu. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I probably need to talk to Tsunade about it."

"May I ask why?"

"I have a contract with her slug. But considering that I've been thrown back in time, I'm not sure where it stands. I'm also familiar with some of the toad summons as well. Gamabunta more so."

He raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Naruto had a contract with them." _Had, _not _has._

Ah. "I'm impressed."

"I'm sure he would have been glad to hear you say that." Overly joyed.

"I'm glad to hear that. But have you actually summoned Katsuyu?"

"Just a few times."

"That's enough time for you to be familiar with the inner workings of a Space-Time Jutsu. The Flying Thunder God Jutsu is like a summon in a way, except you're summoning yourself. The further you summon yourself, the more chakra. Follow?"

"Yes."

"Do you know the Body Flicker Technique?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not, sorry."

He frowned. If she wanted to lean to use the Hiraishin before they fought their foe, then she would have to double her efforts. "That's alright. It is not pertinent to learning to use the Hiraishin, but it _does_ help. I'll teach you that as well."

"Alright."

"We'll begin by teaching you the basics first. That should take most of the day. When we go back home we can work on your formula. Tomorrow, if you have finished the formula, and something tells me you'll be working on it all night, we can combine it with the technique. Sound good?"

Sounded like a lot of work, but she was _not _about to back down now. "Sounds good."

"Then let's begin."

* * *

><p>By the time Minato and Sakura arrived back home, it was well past midnight. Chopping up some meat and adding it to the stew on the stove, Minato thought himself proud. Sakura had picked up the Body Flicker Technique very quickly. Although she still couldn't use it as a skilled user could, he guessed she would have it figured out and ready to use it by tomorrow. Once she had that down and out the way, he instructed her on the Space-Time Jutsu and she took to it like a desert to water. Once she had that down, she was adamant about practicing the Body Flicker.<p>

_She's going to run herself into the ground. _

Just like Kushina. He was starting to see many similarities between the two of them. Namely a stubborn streak. When given a task, neither one would stop until it was done. Their Will just couldn't be bent.

He admired that.

But Sakura had something that Kushina didn't. While Kushina loved Konoha, she lacked a true love and desire to lay down her life for the village because she was not born here. Sakura, however, had willingly traveled back in time, knowing that she might never get to see her loved ones again, just to save countless lives and a village that was decimated.

That was something to admire even more.

In fact, the more he looked, the more he found to admire.

He added some onions and tomatoes. She would need her strength if she were going to work though the night like he thought she was.

"That smells good!"

He gave her a small smile before continuing to stir his stew. "It's just soup. Feel better?"

"Best shower I've ever had. So, about that formula?"

He laughed. "Eat first, and then we'll get to that."

She retuned his laughter. "Alright."

There was silence then.

"I'm done."

He looked up from his half-empty bowl. She was still wearing his clothes to sleep in and her hair was plastered to her face. But she looked less worn out. More energized. "Hang on." Going into his room, he retrieved an unmarked Hiraishin he recently acquired and set it in front of Sakura along with the traditional marking paper and a pen.

"It's very simple. You write your name on the paper, wrap it around the handle, run your finger along the seam with chakra, and then finally cover the handle with your blood and let it soak in. The blood with secure you chakra within the seal. I suggest using your palm." When he looked up, she was already holding the handle, letting her blood coat it.

He smiled. _So eager._

"Did I do it right?"

He supposed it was odd, seeing a Hiraishin that didn't have his name on it. But there was a sense of pride swelling in his chest and he let it show on his face as he handed the kunai back. "Well done."

"Thank you."

"When you are able to fully grasp the Space-Time Jutsu, seal some of that chakra with the Hiraishin with more blood as well."

"Got it."

Something was bothering her, he realized. Something had changed in the past ten seconds. Something had shifted subtly in her atmosphere and now she didn't look like she was ready to pull an all-nighter. "Is something wrong?"

Her hands tightened around the handle before she set it on the table next to her empty bowl.

It wasn't his business, so why was he prying? "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have –!"

"Madara has the other one." Her voice was quiet and soft.

"What do you mean?" He picked up their bowls, set them in the sink, and leaned against the counter.

"The future you gave me two of your Hiraishin kunai; one for protection and a failsafe, and the other one brought me here. Madara has the one that brought me here."

Without thinking, he walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. When she looked at him in surprise, he just smiled. "Don't worry, we'll get it back." When her cheeks tinted pink, he sat back down.

"Thank you. He caught me off guard and took it as soon as we arrived in the past. He's very fast."

"I'm faster."

She smirked. "That you are."

He stood up and his knees creaked. "Well, I'm off to bed. Try not to wear yourself out tonight. Be careful." He waved a _'goodnight.'_

"Wait!"

He paused. "Yes?"

"Well…I was wondering if you've made any headway on finishing the jutsu that sent me here?"

He scratched the back of his head. "No…I haven't. I have half of it finished but there's something I'm missing. I have the Space-Time Jutsu and chakra lock part figured out, but it's the idea of being able to lock on _whenever_ that I'm not getting."

He frowned at the miserable look on her face. "I see. Do you have any clues on where to start?"

"I do, actually."

Her mood flipped and suddenly he saw the fighting spirit he saw earlier. "Really? What?"

He chuckled. "There are some more notes on Space-Time Jutsu's that are not accessible to the public in the Archives. Because of Kushina, I was granted access to them. I can go by there tomorrow and search for anything."

"That would be amazing! Thank you!"

"Hehe, you're welcome! Now, goodnight Sakura."

"Wait, wait! One more thing!"

He quirked an eyebrow, but chuckled anyways. "Yes?" He drawled.

"Does Jiraiya have a Hiraishin on him?"

He didn't miss the ache in her face."Yes, why?"

"I need to speak to Lady Tsunade. He's bound to be wherever she is."

He gave her a sly look. "I don't know, you _are_ keeping me up longer than I wanted to be…" He almost lost it at the desperation on her face.

Sakura stood up and bowed profusely. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! But I really need to talk to her! Please take me!"

She should really learn to think before she spoke.

Minato bristled at her poor choice of words. He quickly stuffed his hands in pockets and looked away from her cherry face. "Don't worry about it. It's fine. I'll take you tomorrow before I go through the Archives."

She could only squeak out a _'thank you.'_

His smile was gentle. "You're very welcome. Goodnight, Sakura. Be careful, okay? Don't over do it."

"Goodnight, Minato. I will. Be careful, that is. Promise."

Minato nodded and smiled once more before walking to his bed. Stripping off his shirt and pants, he sank into the cool, fresh sheets. He had acquired an entire new bed the other day in an effort to lessen the pain of Kushina's passing. It was helping to dull it little by little with every day.

Stuffing his face into the pillow, he allowed himself to imagine what it would have been like to teach Kushina the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. As he fell asleep, the red hair he loved so much slowly turned into pink.

* * *

><p>It was dumb luck, Orochimaru reasoned. It was by pure dumb luck he was able to sneak past the guards near the Hokage's bedroom. But as another guard fell for his simple Genjutsu, he reasoned that it may be because the guards really <em>were<em> just that ignorant.

Tch. Fools. All of them!

The door to the Hokage's room was unlocked.

Okay, so maybe it _was _dumb luck. Wondering why the fucking _Hokage_ would be sleeping with his bedroom door unlocked, he slipped in. The plan was simple: slip in, nab the Hokage, slip out.

So far, so good.

With a quick survey of the room, he retracted a needle from a pouch on his thigh, and not a second later it was embedded in the neck of the Third. He didn't bother with the whole breathing thing. There was no sound. Good.

Taking out a note Madara had prewritten for this very occasion, he left it on the nightstand, and scooped up his former Sensei.

What a twisted turn of events.

Hauling the old man over his shoulders, he left the room just as silently as he entered it. With the guards still under his Genjutsu, he walked right past them, down the flight of stairs, around a corner, right out the font door and into the dead of night.

Now he breathed.

Success!

Zipping through the trees, Orochimaru marveled at how much easier it was then he thought it would be. Too bad nobody else would know about it. It's not everyday someone could kidnap their own Hokage. And right under their own noses, too!

He should be getting paid for this. Entering his hideout, he made a mental note to talk to Madara about it. Either that or a permanent place to hide away. His former Sensei was no one to laugh at, and if he ever somehow got out, then he was a dead man.

"Is that…?"

"Oh my god, it is!"

"It's the Hokage!"

Orochimaru snickered as he carelessly tossed the leader into the cell with his other subjects. They instantly crowded him, making sure he was alright. "He's fine." Oh look, a new set of hardened eyes. How…monotonous. "For now."

"I see your mission went well."

"Tsk. That's a bad habit you have there. But yes, it did. Shall we wake him?"

"Allow me." Orochimaru gazed at the newcomer. His finest work – the clone. There wasn't a damn thing wrong with it.

The Madara clone opened the bottle of water he held and reached in the jail cell, pouring it over the Hokage's face. The man spat and sputtered before throwing himself against the wall in a defensive position. His eyes were wild and movements jerky as he assessed his surroundings.

"Where am I?"

What happened to the patron saints that were his test subjects? Would they not come to his rescue?

"You're in my lab, Sensei. Welcome."

Sarutobi's eyes held disbelief as he locked eyes with his former student and two supposedly dead men. "What is this?! Why am I here?!"

"You know exactly who I am. And you're here because your service is no longer required. From now on, I'll be taking you place."

Sarutobi watched as one of the Madara's slowly changed into a perfect imitation of himself.

"I hope you don't mind; I've always wanted to know what it's like to be Hokage."

* * *

><p><strong>an:** Just because Minato dreamed of Sakura's pink hair right before he fell asleep doesn't mean he loves her, or even that he likes her. Not yet, any ways. And I'm not saying that Madara has always wanted to _be_ the Hokage, just that he's wondered what it's _like_ to be Hokage. I hope you like the new, longer, chapter. And please, please, leave me some reviews. I'm dying to know your thoughts and feelings, what you want to happen, what you _think_ might happen, your critique, and so on. PLEASE!


	6. Can You Feel My Heart?

**a/n:** I do not own Naruto or the cover art. Thank you to those who have reviewed/favorited/followed/etc…

I'm sorry for the absence. I got engaged on Christmas Eve, yay! I wrote out the rest of the story and I didn't like where it went so I scrapped it and made it better. Expect the story to wrap up in a few chapters; like…3-5? Maybe 4. This chapter was really weird for me to write with regards to Jiraiya and Tsunade. You don't really get thoughts from Sakura in the later half on this chapter for a reason and I'll probably pick that u in the next chapter. For now, please leave me some constructive criticism.

* * *

><p>"<em>i'm scared to get close and I hate being alone.<br>i long for that feeling to not feel at all.  
>the higher I get, the lower I'll sink.<br>i can't drown my demons, they know how to swim." _

_- Can you feel my heart?, Bring Me the Horizon_

* * *

><p>The next day arrived all too quickly for Sakura's liking. Landing in an open field with Minato at her side, she breathed in the fresh air and stifled a yawn. Staying up all night had its drawbacks – but it was worth it. She had the hand signs down pat along with the chakra amount needed, now she just needed to apply them together. For now, she needed to speak to Tsunade.<p>

"So, you're willing to help us?"

Tsunade snorted. "Jiraiya trusts Minato and my old Sensei isn't stupid enough to let a traitor slip through." She gestured towards her future student. "And that little stunt you pulled the other day. Pfft." Suddenly, Sakura realized the conversation had taken on a more serious tone. "Look, I don't know you but my old Sensei wouldn't lie to me; not with something like that. Jiraiya and I are aware that we're missing some information and we're okay with that. As long as it's not vital to this…mission of yours."

"It's not."

Tsunade slowly nodded, not saying anything. She shifted her balance to her other foot and scratched at her forehead and Sakura wondered if she should just leave and forget trying to play nice. "So, you're my student, huh?"

Or she could stand right there like a dumb fool, blinking back tears. "Ye..yes." She dug her nails into her palm.

Tsunade eyed the woman, eyes lingering on the seal on her forehead before registering that she was on the verge of crying. "How?"

Her eyes seemed to find something to the far right interesting. "I was weak compared to my teammates. After one of them defected and the other swore to bring him back, I wanted to do it together. But I wasn't strong enough. So I demanded that you train me. You agreed."

Tsunade stood there with a blank look on her face. "That's it?"

She chuckled and nodded. "It took some convincing, but yeah. You even helped train my friend. Mainly just the basics, though."

"Oh…"

Sakura zipped up the orange and black jacket halfway before stuffing her hands in the pockets. "Shizune would help, too, when you were too busy with Hokage work. I trained and practiced every chance I had. Started me out on a damn fish. It was hard for me, but I didn't give up until I got it right. I've um…" She blushed and looked at the ground.

Tsunade quirked an eyebrow. "Spit it out."

She gulped and kicked the dirt. "I surpassed Shizune. There were rumors in the village that I was close to surpassing you, but…I never thought them true."

"And why is that?"

"I thought there was still so much I could learn from you – still do." She stated with an even tone.

Her Master huffed. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

Sakura gave a hearty laugh. "True, true. But it got me closer to you."

Tsunade stiffened. "How close?"

Feeling a little bit like she said too much but it'd already been said, Sakura took a step back just in case her Master got a little too uncomfortable. She breathed in deep. "It took almost three years, countless bottles of alcohol, and an even more countless number of days and nights of me exhausting myself and you taking me home for you to call me the daughter you never had. I had parents – both shinobi, but you were closer…" she continued in a whisper, "I've seen the real you." It was quiet. Too quiet.

Grimacing, she ran a hand through her hair, feeling out of place. "Look, I'm not here to make you uncomfortable. I just…It feels right that you should know, ya know? If I didn't, it would feel as if taking something away from you, just as you've come to accept it. I couldn't do that." She bowed at the waist. "I'm sorry if I've stepped out of line, Master."

She flinched when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "Look at me, Sakura."

She snapped up straight. Tsunade was looking at her with one of her rare smiles; the kind she only gave when she mastered a new technique or was feeling particularly nostalgic and decided to let Sakura off for the day. A smile that reached beyond the jutsu she constantly wore and showed her true age at the corner of her eyes and hidden in their brown depths. "Thank you for telling me. I believe, especially in order for me to show my age, that we were as close as you say. I must have trusted you. If I can trust you in the future, then I will do my best to trust you here and now. Don't make me regret it, kid."

Not really believing her luck, Sakura slowly nodded her head and forced the tears back. She would show her Master that she was indeed worthy enough to be her student, _again! _"Thank you, Master."

"You're welcome. I just have one question."

"Ah…yes?"

"What about Katsuyu?"

All Tsunade got in return was a blank stare before her pupil, or was it _future_ pupil jumped into action. "That's right! She's the whole reason why I came here! In the future I have a contract with her, even summoned her a few times, but since I'm in the past, and I don't know how long that will be, I don't know that status of that at the moment."

"Hmm. I'm not sure either. Try to summon her."

Sakura bit her thumb and tried to do just that, but nothing happened. "I guess the contract doesn't extend to the past." Her shoulders dropped; she liked the slug. "Lady Tsunade what no – _what are you doing?!"_

Sakura pulled the hood of her jacked over her head as a gush of wind blew and covered her eyes. As the wind died down, she coughed and blinked as Katsuyu towered over her. "Lady Tsunade, what…?"

The older woman just laughed. "I think it's only right that you should have a contract, considering you _did_ have one. _If _she'll let you, that is."

Sakura couldn't help but inwardly giggle as they explained the situation to the slug. Katsuyu was always loving and if Tsunade trusted her, then so would Katsuyu. An hour later and Sakura really did giggle as she found herself able to summon Katsuyu. She dismissed the slug with a grin on her face.

She faced her Master and it was as if she hadn't traveled to the past at all. _If only for a moment. _"Thank you, Master. Katsuyu has helped me out many times and is a good friend. Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Sakura. Just don't make me regret it."

"I won't. Which reminds me; you and Jiraiya need to be at the Hokage's office tomorrow morning – bright and early! We start looking for the enemy tomorrow."

As if he sensed she was ready to leave, Minato appeared behind her with a smile on his face. "Hello."

"Hello. You ready?"

She nodded and with a small wave to Tsunade, they were suddenly back at Minato's house. Grabbing some bread and some meat from the fridge, Sakura made a plate and set it in front of Minato, who took it with eager hands.

She chuckled. "So, how did the archive search go?"

He spoke around chewing his food, to her amusement. "I found what I needed!"

Sakura took a bigger bite then she wanted and coughed. "That's great! When can you start on it?"

"Tonight, actually. But it'll take me about a month to perfect it, though."

"That's fine. You're helping and that's all I could ask for."

"Anytime. And in the meantime, I want you to continue practicing with the HIraishin."

"Okay."

"And speaking of practice, I need to ask you something."

She fixed them another sandwich. "Hmm?"

"Would you want to train with my team today?"

She paused, knife hovering in midair. Minato's team consisted of Rin, who was dead, Obito, who was a major cause of the Fourth Shinobi War, and Kakashi, her first sensei. They were the major cause of Kakashi's suffering and heartache for Konoha. She could face Minato with relative ease, having already met him in the future. She was sure she could handle meeting Rin, maybe even help her with some medical jutsu. Kakashi would take some getting used to, but she would manage. He was Kakashi after all.

Obito, however, was another story. He released the Nine-Tails on Konoha and by default was the reason behind many deaths; including Naruto's parents. He had inadvertently killed Naruto.

Sakura's grip on the knife tightened.

"Sakura, you don't have to…"

However, this wasn't the future. Obito was still a little boy. Still innocent of his crimes.

Still just a child. "I'll go." _If only for Kakashi. _

She sliced her sandwich in half.

* * *

><p>They landed in the same training field she woke up in when she first arrived in the past. Minato would introduce her to his team first and allow her time to get used to them before they did any actual training. Sure, she knew their names, but she didn't know how they interacted with one-another. How was their teamwork? Do they work separately, but in a team, to ambush Minato? Or do they work independently? Who was the faster of them?<p>

_Probably Kakashi. _

Just how good of a medic was Rin? And…what was Obito like? What was he like before he released the Nine-Tails and started a war? Was he soft-hearted or stoic or stupid or cunning and sly?

Sakura found herself wishing he had a good heart.

"Rin's usually the first to arrive with Kakashi not far behind. Obito's usually late." Minato settled against a large rock. "Speaking of, there's Rin."

Sakura looked up from her place next to Minato and was relieved when she didn't feel an overwhelming sense of heartbreak. She was pretty for her young age.

"Hello Sensei. Who is this?"

"I'm going to save the introduction for when everyone else gets here, is that alright?"

"Sure." She took a seat at the bottom of the boulder.

So this was the woman that Obito gave his attention to and the woman that loved Kakashi. This was the woman that begged for Kakashi to kill her and he did so against his will. The Kakashi she knew was able to recover from Obito's supposed death and Minato's rather quickly. It was Rin's that took him years to get over and earning him a reputation as a cold blooded murder in ANBU.

Rin's eyes flickered toward hers, smiling. Sakura was suddenly interested in the material of Minato's uniform pants next to hers.

This was the woman Kakashi loved.

"They're here." Minato whispered.

Against her will, her eyes snapped up. Obito and Kakashi were arguing about something she couldn't hear because all she heard was a distant hum that was steadily getting louder.

Kakashi was so young, she realized.

Her ears started ringing when Kakashi swung a fist a connected with Obito's nose. She watched in silence as the boy in those stupid goggles swung and missed, falling on his face instead. Her chest heaving now, she barely noticed Rin knock her own fist against the back of Kakashi's head before helping Obito up and healing his broken nose. Her stomach lurched as Kakashi leaned against a tree with a bored look on his face.

Her mind replaced the three young faces with the more familiar faces of her own team.

Her stomach lurched.

She could change things. She could stop Obito from getting hurt on the mission to Kannabi Bridge and save Rin's life. Things would change, though. Kakashi of the Sharingan, the Copy Nin, would be no more. Kakashi could have the life he missed out on, though. He could live a life with Rin – get married, have children, be the best man at Obito's wedding. He wouldn't be the Hokage's dog.

He wouldn't be the Kakashi she knew.

She couldn't breathe. "I can't…"

There was a hand on her shoulder. Faces, familiar and unfamiliar, looking at her in puzzlement. "I can't do this."

Her eyes blurred so she shut them. Her ears were ringing so she put her hands against them. Her calves were shaking so she sank to her knees. She was tired because she just wanted to go back to _her_ time and be with _her_ normal team and live a _normal _life, so she laid down and dreamed of things that were just out of her reach.

* * *

><p>Minato placed the back of his hand against Sakura's forehead. "Well, she doesn't have a fever. She's just in shock."<p>

Rin sat in between Kakashi and Obito on the love-seat. "Shock? Of what? Sensei, who is she?"

Minato rested his head against the back of the couch, careful of the kunoichi sleeping in his lap, and tried to figure out an answer. "Well…her name is Sakura."

"And who is this Sakura?" Ahh…leave it to Kakashi to dig for more.

Right. Time to pull rank. "That's classified and no matter what you do, I'm under orders from the Hokage not to tell anyone."

"Yeah, well, can't you at least tell us why she's in shock?"

"Obito! That's none of our business!"

Minato frowned. It really wasn't; if the jutsu he was working on worked, she would be going back to her own time soon. It would be best if the people she met were kept to a minimum. Until then…he sighed. "You remind her of some people she knows. Some good, some bad. Ones that she cared about very much."

Kakashi crossed his arms. "How bad?"

"The war kind."

"Where is - ?"

"_Kakashi_." Minato narrowed his eyes at the young boy.

"Well…can you at least tell us what she was doing there with us today?"

Leave it to Rin to make things better.

"That I can. She was there to train with us, actually."

"Train?"

"Yes, Obito. And until her current problem is sorted out, she'll be training and going with us on missions from now on as well."

"We don't need her."

There was something wet on his thigh. He looked down and was startled to see Sakura wide awake and her eyes shining. He brushed back pink locks, revealing in the softness. "That wasn't a very nice thing to say Kakashi. Just because _you _don't need much help doesn't mean _she _doesn't need us. She's going through a hard time right now and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't be so rude next time." His voice came out in a lower octave than he intended, but he wanted to get his point across. "Since she's going to be a part of the team until further notice and you clearly haven't grasped the concept of teamwork correctly, you will not be participating in our next training session. You'll just be watching."

"B-but Sensei!"

"Kakashi, he's right. You were unnecessarily rude." Minato looked to Rin with pride. She was a sweet girl and wasn't afraid to put Kakashi in his place.

Turning back towards the woman lying in his lap, he was pleased to see her smiling at him through her tears. She mouthed a silent _thank you_; he returned with a silent _you're welcome. _She dug her face deeper into his thighs and clutched her hands at his pants. She closed her eyes.

Oh. "Sorry, but you're going to have to meet her some other time, I'm going to put her in the bed."

"Hehe, don't do anything pervy, Sensei!"

He huffed and rolled his eyes. Hooking an arm under her knees and around her shoulders, he carefully stood up and made sure she was secure in his arms. She was clutching at his shirt and breathing against his neck. "Oh, and by the way. Our training sessions will be sparse for a little while. Sakura and I will be going on some missions with Jiraiya and another friend for a little while. We'll still go on missions together, so don't worry."

"That sucks. Just come find us."

"I know. And I'm sorry about today. You should go home or train on your own, even you Kakashi."

"But I thought -!"

"I know what I said. Now go train. I don't want you three slipping when we actually do have a mission together." His three precious students bowed and walked out his door.

There was another clutch at his shirt and he looked down. She was staring at him with those deep pools of emerald and the bridge of her nose was dusted a light pink. Turning a bit pinkish himself, he walked towards her borrowed room and laid her on the bed, pretending not to notice how one of her hands lingered in his hair.

"I could've walked myself, you know."

"I know."

There was an awkward silence.

"Thank you."

Deciding that the balls of his feet were hurting him, he motioned for Sakura to scoot over and sat next to her, leaving one foot on the ground and the other tucked in on himself. "About what?"

"I guess…everything. You didn't have to put me up here, but you did. You're agreeing to work with me on this mission, even knowing the consequences. And then today. I thought I was prepared to see Kakashi, but…" She hung her head and he placed a hand on top of hers. Her shoulders shook and she sniffled. "I wasn't prepared for them to be just like us. They're just like my team."

She ended on a shuddering breath and he squeezed her hand. Feeling rather bold and a tad bit as if he was overstepping some sort of boundary, he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head up. He cupped one cheek and wiped away the one wet streak that managed to escape her eyes from both cheeks. He met her emerald orbs and he smiled. He dragged his thumb down her cheek, catching it on the corner of her mouth before dropping it back down to his lap. "Tell me about them."

Sakura breathed in, not looking away from Minato's gaze, and the words flew from her mouth. She told him stories about her Team 7, her Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke. She told him her team was a surrogate family of sorts and how Kakashi wasn't that great of a teacher but she wouldn't trade him for the world, even his books.

She was pretty sure she talked his head off but not once did he seem disinterested or offended or bored. When she ran out of things to say about her team, he asked about _her_ instead. So she kept talking until Minato moved into a more comfortable position on the top of the bed next to her. They kept talking until Sakura's throat was raw, so they moved to the kitchen and picked the conversation up there.

Not once did she feel out of place or sad or like she didn't belong.

She was content. Happy.

They moved the conversation to the couch and when Sakura had no more to say, Minato took over. She paid him all the attention and respect he had given her. They ignored their closeness and let their knees brush and their breaths mingle when they bent over to laugh. They talked and they laughed until they fell asleep next to each other.

And when Minato woke up, he was warm. Cracking an eye open he found himself buried in the crook of Sakura's arm. Not bothering to question it, he stretched his legs, noticing how they curved nicely against Sakura's, and placed his arm back over her stomach, resting on her hip. He settled his head somewhere between a breast and the crook of her arm and let out a content sigh. It was early – about time for them to get up and meet the Hokage.

The arm slung across his shoulders twitched. Smiling to himself, he twitched the fingers that were tucked between their bodies and the couch, running a finger along the rib cage of the woman he was laying on. A couple twitches later and there was a finger drawing circles on the back of his neck and then a hand threading through his hair, gently rubbing at his scalp. She bent her legs slightly and suddenly Minato didn't want to go see the Hokage.

Sakura chose that moment to stretch her body.

He closed his eyes and prided himself in hiding a groan as a nipple passed his mouth.

When she settled back down, hand back in his hair and the other idly drawing circles on his arm, his face was flush with her chest. Despite his current situation, he couldn't find a reason to be bothered by it. He was comfortable and the last time he was this happy was before Kushina died. He wanted to stay happy. He made a noise and snuggled deeper into the warmth that was Sakura.

Maybe….maybe if the jutsu didn't work and Sakura really _was_ stuck here…

He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her.

Just maybe…

* * *

><p>Minato eyed his Hokage. Something was…<em>off<em>. He looked the same, acted the same, and, as he sniffed the air, smelled the same, even talked the same. He wasn't the chakra sensor type, but he had a feeling that would be where he would find a clue. If something was wrong at all. Maybe it was just him and his late night with Sakura was taking a toll on him.

He looked to his companions and was relieved to see they were just as on edge as he was – if you could call that a good thing.

Saying their goodbyes, they walked out of the Hokage's office.

"Let's go to Minato's. We need to talk; privately."

No one questioned Sakura and before he knew it, he was standing in his kitchen with Sakura at his side.

"That's not the Hokage."

It was silent for a moment, because no one wanted to believe someone had gotten the better of their Hokage. Finally, Jiraiya spoke up. "How sure –''

"Positive."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "How did you know?"

Sakura clenched her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose before leaning against the counter, elbows bumping against his. "I've seen this before, somewhat. Madara is impersonating the Hokage with something similar to a Wood Clone. Except…the clone seems different somehow. I'm not sure _how, _it just does."

There was silence. Someone sighed and muttered something about being too old for this. Minato put his money on Tsunade.

"It's the eyes, by the way."

He turned towards Sakura. "What do you mean?"

"It's how I knew it was a clone. Madara's clone have a very small, but very distinctive, different color in the very middle of their eyes, within the pupil."

"So now what? Do we continue with the mission or do we notify the Anbu or what?"

Sakura sighed and Minato subtly pressed his arm against hers, inwardly smiling when she pressed back. "No, we don't notify anyone – that's a disaster that doesn't need to happen. I'm willing to bet Sarutobi's alive. For now, we can have his security increased and warn his wife." She looked at her comrades and they slowly nodded.

"That's a dangerous gamble, young lady."

"I know, but I'm also willing to bet that Madara might have paid Orochimaru a visit. If I'm right, and I sincerely hope I'm right, we might find the real Hokage in one of his holding cells."

"How do you know they haven't killed him?"

She looked at her master. "He was Orochimaru's sensei, too. Besides, he's too valuable. He knows all there is to know about Konoha. The list goes on."

Tsunade faltered for a moment before she agreed. It was true.

"And the mission…is still on. Minato and I will seek out Orochimaru's hideout. With any luck, we'll find our Hokage. And, if I'm right and Madara had some business with Orochimaru and the clone comes back to the hideout, we'll deal with him there."

"Sounds good."

Sakura rubbed her temples and pulled out some paper and a pan. "This is the location of the Akatsuki hideout. I'm expecting Zetsu to be there, but there might be other's there as well, including Nagato and his other subordinates. I apologize if they're there, this timeline stuff can be confusing sometimes."

Jiraiya took the paper. "Are you sure we can take them all on?"

Sakura didn't bother to hide her grimace. "Aside from Minato, you two are the strongest people I know. And being that this _is _the past, they most likely won't have all of their moves down. You two are nearly impossible to kill separately. Put you two together and well…you make for a deadly pair."

Tsunade's face displayed a proud smirk.

She rubbed her temples again. "Jiraiya, you know the orphans better than us, so you might not have to fight them. But I'll tell you this – Nagato, through Pein, is the one who kills you. You already know this but I don't want you to forget in case you decide to get sentimental."

The old man just chuckled. "I won't kid."

"Alright then. Remember, you don't have to kill them. Konoha has a prison for a reason."

Jiraiya and Tsunade stood up to leave, casting a last look over the two still in the kitchen. "Be careful."

With a silent nod, they were gone.

Sakura dropped her head on the counter and huffed. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Mouth set in a firm line, he stood in the corner and pulled Sakura into his arms. Settling his nose in the crook of her neck, he breathed in her scent. "Maybe not, but because of you we can get our Hokage back. You're doing the village a great favor, Sakura. Not everyone would be willing to go through what you are just to help the village. Not everyone has that love and dedication. You're very brave. I appreciate what you do for us, for me."

As her hands settled on his chest, her nails dug in and he let them. He squeezed her before pulling away, grinning. "Now let's pack, we have a long day ahead!"

Yes, she thought as her arms were replaced with cold air. A long day indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>an:** Please review and let me know what you think!


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